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Random archive letters from other years part 10 |
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last part -sighs- I hope these letters change/guide one of your lives...
Independence to Interdependence
Monday, May 21, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Champions!
Listen to these words of wisdom:
Adolescents want to become independent of their parents. They want to be able to make intelligent decisions about their own lives and live with satisfying outcomes.
Just about every middle school student in this building is in the process of becoming independent. You all think differently than you did four or five years ago. You wanted definite directions and solid decisions from your parents and other adults before you were ten years old. Now most of you want only consultation from your parents and the other adults in your lives. You don’t mind hearing what they have to say, but you don’t want them to tell you what to do. Middle school will listen to advice, but for the most part desire to make decisions about your lives. Most of you probably think that independence is the height of all relationships in life. It is better than being dependent on others, but I can promise you that it is not the best. The best is interdependency in your relationships. That is mutual independence and mutual dependence. It requires better communication and guarantees a focused desire to interact with others in positive ways.
A student that works well with a best friend in a cooperative assignment is practicing interdependence. When you see a baseball team playing exceptionally well and the coach says that the athletes are clicking on all cylinders, then you know that the coach is aware that the team is in the midst of interdependence. When a shortstop throws a ball to first base, he is depending on a teammate to catch it. Just as simple to understand is that when a school student body creates an environment that is safe and full of respect for the individual and the different groups, then I can again promise you, that students in the school are fully involved in being interdependent.
So go ahead and do what is normal, I encourage you to seek your independence from your parents and from other adults, but don’t stop there. Go on and discover how much better life is when you have become interdependent with people you care about, and want in your life. It’s a wonderful experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Winston Churchill
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Students!
Most people in my generation know Winston Churchill was a fluent writer, detailed historian, expert politician, and successful leader from Great Britain. He was quoted and used in many word pictures in his time. A very interesting circumstance happened when he was a child. Listen to this story.
There once was a poor farmer of Scotland with the name of Fleming. He worked hard to try and make a living for his family. One day while working he heard a cry for help coming out of a nearby bog. A bog is a swampy area. He let his tools fall to the ground and raced to the bog. There in front of him was a young terrified boy that was stuck up to his waist in black muck. He was screaming and struggling and making every attempt to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the boy from a sure, slow death.
The next day, a very fancy, expensive looking, carriage stops at the farmer’s poor, dilapidated hut. A well-dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself to Mr. Fleming as the father of the boy he had saved from the muck.
“Yesterday, you saved my son’s life and I want to repay you,” said the nobleman.
“No, I can not accept payment for what I did,” Farmer Fleming replied. He waved it off and told the nobleman that he did it because it was the right thing to do. At that moment the father’s own son came to the door of the family hovel.
The nobleman asked, “Is that your son?”
“Yes,” the Scottish farmer replied proudly.
“I’ll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my son will enjoy. If the boy is anything like his father, he’ll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of and feel fortunate to have known.”
That statement came true. The Scottish farmer’s son attended the very best schools. After a period of time, he graduated from St. Mary’s Medical School in London. He went on to become known throughout the world as the noted research doctor, Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin.
Years after all of this, that same son of a nobleman who was saved from the black mucky bog was stricken with pneumonia. What saved his life this time? Penicillin. The name of the nobleman’s son was Sir Winston Churchill. As Shakespeare wrote –
What goes around comes around.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Simple Joy of Books
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Readers!
Sometimes we miss some of the simplest joys in life because we overlook them. Listen to this quote from Ann Rinaldi about a girl named Phillis when she first looked upon a book. Phillis did not know how to read, but it did not change her fascination.
I climbed up and knelt on the chair and drew a book toward me. I opened it. Oh, it smelled lovely! Musty and old and spicy and new, all at the same time. I stared at the markings on the page. And something happened to me.
What a wonderful picture made with words. Did you use senses and imagine the scene that was painted with the power of language?
I remember one time when I was six that I got to stay and spend the night at my grandmother’s house. She owned a collection of books that she had read and kept. They all seemed huge and full of pages that were full of words. I use to love opening them and playing like I was reading them. They were way beyond my comprehension, but that did not matter. I loved their feel and enjoyed their unique smell. I had a real appreciation for them because they belonged to an important person in my life. Grandma’s value placed upon them was transferred to me. I know that is one of the reasons to this day that I get a rush being occupied with a book.
Another reason is that from early on my mother would take me to the public library. I was amazed that one building could hold and possess so many books and that I was allowed to borrow any of them. Every week I would check out four new books. There were a few that I checked out more than once because they became important to me. I chose certain stories that I wanted to have as part of my life. The Landmark Hall of Fame series book on Babe Ruth was so powerful. The simple mysteries of Alfred Hitchcock became spell binding. I learned that books had multiple gifts within their covers. Part of the lure was to seek the hidden treasures that were there. I could easily make someone’s experience in the past my experience with the right words.
Do you have memories about certain book experiences? Are there favorite books in your life? Can you name them, if asked? It is never too late to find a book that will impact your life in a powerful way. Don’t miss the simple joy of books.
I challenge you to get serious about relaxing with something to read and reflect upon during your coming days of summer. It will lead to some amazing traveling without ever leaving the comfort of your favorite chair or own comfortable bed.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
The Bug vs. the Windshield
Friday, May 25, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Champions!
Some days we just have to do our best when things seem to go against us. Remember we can control how we respond to what happens to us. Days are not always going to be great. Listen to this quote that a sixth grade student shared with me. She said that her dad says this is true.
Some days we are the windshield and some days we are the bug.
Listen to this story of when I was the bug. I remember it well because it was the last day of school of my third grade year. We had a school wide assembly to give out final awards. I knew that my friend, Monte Moyer and I were going to receive a ribbon. We were excited about it happening. Unfortunately, instead of being a bright sunny day, it was overcast and raining. We held the assembly under an overhang outside the principal’s office. In order for everyone to be able to see, the principal made the boys sit cross-legged on the concrete and the girls stood behind us.
I remember the girls standing behind Monte and me were pushing and bumping into us. We kind of pushed back, but for the most part we were too excited about our names being announced. They gave the awards to the first grade students and then when they were finishing up the second grade students, Monte and I could hardly contain our excitement. We were laughing and smiling and were overwhelmed with our names being announced next. Things changed suddenly.
We felt this warm liquid pouring over our heads and shoulders. It was coming from the girl standing behind us, Janet Lord. I looked into my lap and I couldn’t believe I was looking at whole cheerios, as well as a putrid liquid. Janet had vomited on Monte and me. We were bugs on the windshield of life. Our excitement for receiving the ribbons was gone.
We were stunned. The teachers immediately helped Janet. All the other boys and girls were screaming and moving away from Monte and me. Finally some adults helped us. We were taken to the restroom and cleaned up. The teachers had gotten the oversized shirts that kindergarten students used for finger painting for us to wear. By time they got us cleaned up, the principal was already giving out the fifth grade awards. The attention we wanted from recognition came about in a different way.
I could not control whether Janet blew cheerios on me, but I could control the way I responded. I have never seen Janet Lord since then because I moved from the town, but I always wondered what she remembers about the incident.
Remember the quote, and remember the control is yours every time a response is required.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
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Orderliness
Monday, May 14, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Champions!
Do you ever wonder about the arrangement of the world? Do you ever question the order of things in your life or maybe the lack of orderliness? I have and at the age of 51 I still do. That is part of life. I think that it becomes important to people to have order in their lives from about first grade on. What is the definition that we use for orderliness? It’s this. I have to arrange myself and my surroundings to achieve greater efficiency. Just about every weekend I spend time arranging issues, tasks and responsibilities for the next week. Without the intent of orderliness in place before Monday, my life as a principal would be much more difficult.
How do you use orderliness? Do some of you never have to clean your locker? How does your bedroom look right now? Do you have a hobby that requires orderliness? Maybe you collect baseball cards? Or magazines and books? Or video games? Maybe you spend time organizing your clothing so that you can find it easily. No time wasted, because you can put your hands on whatever you are looking for at a particular moment.
Listen to these quotes about orderliness:
Order is the greatest need. – Henri Amiel
Organize weekly, adapt daily. – Stephen Covey
Put your toys away—its bedtime. - Mom
Keep the cardinal rule of orderliness: Put things away immediately.
Orderliness is about how efficiently you think and work.
What do these quotes tell all of us about orderliness? Do you recall the third one being said when you were younger? I do. Please realize this fact. Orderliness is a trait that has to be chosen and then practiced repeatedly. It is a trait that is learned and then kept by the constant practice. A person has to practice orderliness in small ways as well as being open to practicing it when the task is huge. Here are some small ways of practicing orderliness: When you wake up in the morning, the first thing to do is make the bed. When you brush you teeth, put the lid on the toothpaste and put it away before the actual brushing. If you make yourself a sandwich, put the fixings away before sitting down to enjoy the snack. When baking a cake, clean as you go, then the mess is never very big. I encourage you to find the small ways to orderliness. In fact, I encourage you to choose orderliness for your life in all areas.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Orderliness with a Right Purpose
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Smilers!
Listen carefully to this story of when orderliness is wrong because it might actually be orneriness. This happened April 1, 1969. There was this 8th grade kid that seemed to find trouble pretty easily, even when he wasn’t trying. In this case he was trying and didn’t know it. Let’s call him Jeff.
He had Spanish class first hour each day. His teacher’s name was Mrs. Garcia and Jeff frustrated her at times, and yet she really did like him, and he really did like her. He didn’t purposely try to be mean. On this particular day he got to the class early. He entered the classroom and the teacher had stepped out to the office. He had just a few minutes to practice what he thought was orderliness. The classroom had two doors on one side of the room much like our portables do, but because it was a permanent building it had a full-length counter between the doors. Mrs. Garcia liked to keep everything off of it except the textbooks. They were big, but thin books.
Jeff quickly set his personal books on his assigned desk at the back of the classroom. It was on the opposite end of the counter from the door students were expected to use. He knew he had to work with speed and that there was no room for error. He began setting the textbooks on end on the counter starting by his desk. He quickly set 21 books on end across the counter and they looked like a row of dominos standing on end. After the 21st book he balanced a stack of five on the edge of the counter furthest from him. He then stood watch near his desk waiting for the teacher. Students began walking in and had seen what Jeff was up to so they sat down to watch.
Finally Mrs. Garcia could be heard coming down the hallway. Jeff was sitting in his desk and when she stepped inside the room he placed his index finger on the textbook nearest him and pushed. The result was instant and in my opinion just pretty fantastic. Twenty-one taps and then one big bang as the stack of five hit the tile floor. There were actually a couple of students that clapped. Unfortunately, Mrs. Garcia was not as impressed. She immediately walked over to Jeff and grabbed him by the collar and escorted him to the door nearest his desk. Her only comment was for him to get himself to Mr. Layman’s office. Paul Layman was Jeff’s principal. He looked like LBJ, the President of the United States at that time.
With little comment and few questions, Mr. Layman took his paddle and according to procedure gave Jeff a swift swat, followed by a second one. The result was instant and in my opinion not too great. The pain was quite intense. He talked to Jeff for a little while after the swats. His main question was, when was Jeff going to make an effort to get his behavior under control. He wanted to know if Jeff would ever give as much attention to his studies as he did to his stunts.
I think that if a person should ask Jeff that question now, he would respond with:
“I finally understood how important it was to get focused about my life.”
Please listen carefully to this quote from Character First materials.
Orderliness is not just about stuff.
Orderliness is also about time—prioritizing to make the best use of the time allotted to you.
Take this advice. Use your time better in middle school than Jeff did. You will end up having a head start on practicing orderliness in your life. The better you maintain order in your life will give you a better chance at a fantastic life. That is an absolute truth. Remember absolute truths are true even if you don’t believe them.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
Derek Jeter on Goal Setting
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Good day, Sequoyah Students!
Do you have a favorite athlete? Or specifically, do you have a favorite major league baseball player? I do. If was starting a major league team, I have one player that I would seek to sign first. His name is Derek Jeter.
Derek Jeter plays shortstop for the New York Yankees. He has been with the club for eleven years under contract, but some people, including Derek Jeter, would argue that he has been a New York Yankee all of his life. As a kid he dreamed of playing for them. He wore pin stripe shirts and lived for baseball. He actually has a note that he wrote in his elementary school yearbook that said that he would be a New York Yankee baseball player someday. He set his goal early in life and then pursued it relentlessly with the passion that only comes about with doing something that you love doing. His dad taught him at an early age that if you identify your goal and tell enough people about it, then not only will your effort be recognized, but also the people who care about you will encourage you and support the hope involved in your dream.
Listen to what Derek Jeter says about goal setting:
Dad always helped Sharlee and me set goals, then he worked with us to achieve them. It is never too early to set goals for yourself.
Sharlee is his sister. Derek and his sister learned that setting a goal was something natural and also was something that was needed to focus in a certain direction. The direction that Derek wanted to go was to become a New York Yankee. All of his goals contributed in some way to going in that direction. In his book, The Life You Imagine, he explains how everything is related. He knew that the discipline that he practiced to get good grades was related to the discipline of taking grounders and his accurate throws to first and his batting practice. Discipline is transferable. A person that is disciplined in one area, can be, and more than likely will be, disciplined in most areas of their personal and professional life.
Remember what Derek Jeter said.
It is never too early to set goals for yourself.
I challenge you to set goals now if you haven’t done so already. Maybe you have some goals that will help you have a better summer break. Write them down and save the paper so that one day you can do like Derek Jeter and show people that you are disciplined enough to reach your dreams and achieve your goals.
With words that I would like you to consider and reflect upon, make yours an exceptional life – or not. The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose. Please choose wisely.
 -Melodic Time- · Mon Jun 16, 2008 @ 05:06am · 0 Comments |
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The Journal Of DOOOM! 
