Edward Miller

Struggle Changes Moon’s Outlook, Habits

BY EDWARD MILLER

Before the July Fourth holiday, Jeff Moon’s biggest concerns were the positive results from COVID-19 tests taken by his wife and 17-year-old son. Neither was hospitalized, but it wasn’t long before Moon, the city manager in Woodstock, tested positive himself.

“I self-quarantined after Nancy and Chason were tested,” Moon said, “but soon developed the telltale symptoms for COVID-19 –– fever, headaches and coughing.”

Because Moon had had asthma since childhood, he was concerned doubly about exposure to the coronavirus. The illness soon settled in his lungs, and he was diagnosed with COVID-related pneumonia.

After two weeks in Northside Hospital Cherokee, Moon is home, but tethered to supplemental oxygen most of the day. Recovering at home, Moon continues to work, with the help of an assistant city manager and the support of Woodstock’s mayor and City Council.

The experience has altered Moon’s outlook and

On Aug. 10, a powerful storm system roared across the Midwest, killing at least two people and also causing widespread damage to millions of acres of crops. By the time the storm hit Des Moines, Iowa, wind gusts were clocked at more than 100 miles per hour.

The storm also hit Marion, Iowa, which is about 120 miles northeast of Des Moines, and the hometown of Woodstock police officer and former Bonebrake began a campaign to habits. “Before this happened, I was something of a nonbeliever about masks, so I didn’t wear one,” he said. “You can believe that has changed.”

He also is Jeff Moon has become a firm believer in distressed when he sees anti-maskers wearing masks since his experience with COVID-19. on Facebook.

“If they had gone through what I have, they wouldn’t be calling it just the flu,” Moon said. “Believe me, we all need to take this disease very seriously.”

Edward Miller is managing partner at Cindy Miller Communications, a strategic communications company specializing in storytelling, crisis communications and corporate communications.

Brothers Helping Brothers in Time of Need

firefighter Shane Bonebrake. In Brothers helping brothers, from left: Shane Bonebrake with Lt. James Gravitt, Sgt. Nakoa response to the storm’s damage, Bedwell, Nick Rodriguez and Anthony Ciorba of Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services. He lives in Woodstock. fill a truck with donations to be delivered to Marion. collect and organize the donations at the church,”

Battalion Chief Chad Davis said that Cherokee County Davis said. firefighter Anthony Ciorba saw a video of Bonebrake However, Ciorba wanted to do more. He compiled a speaking about his drive to collect food items and supplies list of needed supplies, and reached out to members of for the people of Marion, and decided to help. his recruit class, his crew and others for help. Firefighters

“Anthony went down to His Hands Church, to ask brought donations to the church, just in time for the Shane what he could do to help, and started helping to 800-mile trip to Iowa.

THE ESSENTIAL QUESTION: Who Am I?

There is no shortage of conversation about what should be taught in our schools, from adopting Common Core standards to more schools recognizing the power of brain-based learning. It is exciting and encouraging that these conversations are happening; now we need to make sure our focus is where it should be.

Despite the ongoing conversation about what subjects deserve more attention in our classrooms, the reality is the most important subject students need to be focusing on is themselves. The most essential question students need to explore is, “Who am I?”

Kids today are bombarded with messages from television, the Internet, their parents and their peers about who they should and shouldn’t be. This process of identity development really becomes important during adolescence.

In his theory of psychosocial development, psychologist Erik Erikson says that the primary human focus during ages 12-18 is to develop a sense of self and personal identity. In our schools, we unrealistically expect our kids to develop this by the time they graduate high school so that they can enter college with some idea about what they want to spend their lives doing. In our C.O.R.E. kids being themselves at Buckeye Creek Farm. homes, many parents spend As the parents and teachers of more energy scheduling activities for children who learn differently, we are their kids than they do talking to them essentially their identity guides, and it is about who they are or how they think. our responsibility to help them explore

Add to these messages the multitude of and discover who they are. At CORE labels that many children with learning Community School, we have developed differences are given, and it’s no surprise the C.O.R.E. Identity Development that many kids struggle to know their Program to consciously guide our kids true identity. We need to shift our through the identity process. expectations and our energy to focus less For more information, email on the end result and more on the process corecommunityschool@thecoreschool.org of identity development. or visit thecoreschool.org.

CORE COMMUNITY SCHOOL | 203 Woodpark Place, Bldg. A, Woodstock 30188 | 770-704-9144 | www.thecoreschool.org

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