It's time for some new goals!

Hello class!

Now that you have seen your Term #1 report cards, it is time to sit back and reflect on how well you did.  There are several questions that you should be asking yourself.  Are you happy with how the term went?  Did you work to your full potential?  Could you do better?  Do you want to do better?  Did you achieve this term's goals?  If not, what could you have done differently?  Hopefully, your response to most of these questions is a resounding "yes".   However, even if you did answer "yes", it doesn't mean that you can't improve in some capacity and that is where this week's question comes into play.

Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your future.  Not just for your future here in Grade 4 or 5, but in your entire school career as well as continuing onto your adult life.  It is an excellent habit/skill to try and master.  By setting goals you will be able to decide where you would like to go in life and have complete control on how to get there. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you will always know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that would otherwise lure you from your course.  More than this, properly-set goals can be incredibly motivating, and as you get into the habit of setting and achieving goals, you'll find that your self-confidence builds fast and that is always a good thing!  :-)

So, your goal this week is to set a few goals.  You see what I did there?  :-)  Unlike in class, these goals do not have to be classroom related.  Your goal(s) can be classroom related, sports related, family related etc.  There are no set limits here except for one small tidbit.  You must be able to accomplish your goal by the end of December.

Remember:

In order for something to be a goal:

• It has to be important to you, personally.
• It has to be within your power to make it happen through your own actions.
• It has to be something you have a reasonable chance of achieving.
• It must be clearly defined and have a specific plan of action.

To summarize:

1.  Tell me here what your goal(s) for the next month and a half will be. (re-read the above list over again to make sure your goal is a good one!)

2.  Accomplish your goal by the end of December.

3.  Provide me with updates as you go or if you need help achieving it.

4.  Have fun and start over-achieving!  :-)

Mr. Boettger  :-)

Don't forget about the video I showed you at the beginning of the year.  Feel free to watch it again if you have forgotten!

Finish Strong

This week's bonus question is:  Who is the person credited with creating this wonderful piece of technology we call the "internet"?

Random Acts of Kindness

Hello everyone!

Sorry about the two week delay!  However, we are back on track this week!

The theme this week is "kindness".  Kindness is one of the most powerful interpersonal tools that we, as human beings, use to connect with one another. When we sense someone’s need, we either choose to help in some way… or we choose not to.  I want everyone this week to bring out their inner-kindness and choose to help!

We cannot rely on someone else to make this world a better place.  Each one of us has to do our bit.  It doesn't matter if it is big or small, we should all make it a habit to make someone's day, every day.  Kindness is contagious.  Never underestimate the impact of a single act of kindness.

Your mission this week is to complete AT LEAST one "random act of kindness".

What is a Random Act of Kindness? (taken from http://actsofkindness.org/)

When we go beyond duties that are expected of us and reach out to help another person or group of people, we are performing a Random Act of Kindness. Kindness and empathy are very closely related: kindness is the observable expression of empathy. We sense another person’s need, we understand how it feels to be in need (due to our own past experience), and we decide to offer our help. This profound process can happen almost instantaneously, even if the person in need is a complete stranger. When we are kind, we express the best of who we are.

An Explanation of “Random”

The word “random” can be interpreted in various ways. Almost all acts of kindness are planned to some extent. Sometimes the planning takes a couple of seconds. Other times, the planning can take weeks. All acts of kindness — planned and unplanned — are valuable and beneficial. When people are kind, they are improving their world by selflessly giving to another.

Hopefully the definitions are clear.  If you still have a question, please feel free to ask it here on the blog.

Before we get started, we have to set a few rules - I know, it's always about the rules!  Don't worry, these aren't difficult rules!  :-)

Rule #1:  You must complete your act of kindness without being asked.  It has to be completely random and done because YOU wanted to do it not because someone asked you to do it.

Rule #2:  You must complete your act without expecting anything in return.

Rule #3:  Do not tell the person that you have done your random act of kindness because it is an assignment given to you by me.

Rule #4:  Post here what your "random act of kindness" was and how the person reacted to you because of this unexpected kindness.

Rule #5:  Watch your spelling and grammar and always post using full sentences!

Rule #6:  Have fun and be creative!

Let's see how many random acts of kindness we can achieve in one week!  Good luck!   :-)

I will leave you with a quote by Emelia Earhart:

"No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves".

The bonus question this week is:

Who are Craig and Mark Kielburger?  Don't forget to be specific!  :-)

How do we follow a successful week #1?

Well.....we complete week #2!

I just wanted to say a quick "thank-you" to all of my fantastic students for a great first week of blogging!  Wow - 109 posts!!  Pretty impressive if I do say so myself!  We had a few little bumps along the way, but we are definitely moving in the right direction and that has got me (and hopefully you) pretty excited!

I will try and keep my rambling to the bare minimum this week.  So without further adieu, here are this week's questions:

1.  What does it mean to you to be a "caring" person?

2.  Other than Greg Mortensen (the author of "Three Cups of Tea"), research someone in history who has dedicated his or her life to helping others.  Write about when he or she lived and provide some examples of how they improved the world through his or her dedication.

Don't forget the rules:

- Put the question in your answer and always write using full sentences.

- Proofread your work (watch your spelling and grammar) before you post it.

- Keep it appropriate for school.

- Have fun and be creative!

This week's bonus question is a fairly simple one - I hope!  :-)

What is the definition of a simile and provide me with an example.

Have fun blogging everyone and as usual, I can't wait to read your responses!

Mr. Boettger  :-)

Here is the first of many questions to come!

Hello Grade 4/5's!

I hope and trust that everyone had a great weekend!

As you know, we are reading the novel "Three Cups of Tea" in class. Just to refresh your memory, here is a brief outline of what the book is about:

While attempting to climb K2, the world's second highest mountain peak, Greg Mortenson suddenly found himself lost, alone and freezing cold.  He began to climb to honour his sister, who had passed away.  Now his own life was in peril.  Luckily, Greg was nursed back to health by the people of Korphe, a poor village in northern Pakistan.  Deeply moved by the Korphe community's kindness and generosity, he promised to build a school for the village.  Greg's efforts to keep his promise led to deep friendships with people from Pakistan and other Central Asian countries and to the discovery of his life's great purpose: the formation of the Central Asia Institute and the building of not one but many schools.

My first question has three parts to it and it revolves around this touching novel.  Are your thinking caps on?

1. Why does Greg decide to build a school for the children of Korphe?

2.  In whose honour does Greg intend to build the school?

3.  If you wanted to honour someone special to you, what would you most like to accomplish and for whom?

Don't forget the rules please!  Always keep your answers in full sentences, watch your spelling and grammar and put lots of thought and creativity into your answers!  I look forward to reading all of your responses!

As a bonus this week I have another quick question!

What was the meaning of last week's word of the week?  The first person to provide the right answer will get a little prize.

Mr. Boettger  : )

Hello apt pupils!

Welcome to our brand new blog here at the wolf den!

I hope and trust that you have had a great summer and have come back to school refreshed and pumped to get those brains working again!

I have got quite a few "cool" things planned this year and one of them is this blog.  Every week I am going to be providing a question to you that you must answer within the week.  You may answer them here at school or at home.  It is your choice.  However, your answers must always be appropriate for school, use all of the proper conventions to the best of your ability and eventually follow the "better answers" formula.  Don't worry about this right now, you will learn all about this formula as the year progresses.

The questions will vary from the silly, to the creative, to the head scratchers.  So let's put our thinking caps on and get started!

See you in cyberspace!

Mr. Boettger  : )

Hello apt pupils!

Welcome to our brand new blog here at the wolf den!

I hope and trust that you have had a great summer and have come back to school refreshed and pumped to get those brains working again!

I have got quite a few "cool" things planned this year and one of them is this blog.  Every week I am going to be providing a question to you that you must answer within the week.  You may answer them here at school or at home.  It is your choice.  However, your answers must always be appropriate for school, use all of the proper conventions to the best of your ability and eventually follow the "better answers" formula.  Don't worry about this right now, you will learn all about this formula as the year progresses.

The questions will vary from the silly, to the creative, to the head scratchers.  So let's put our thinking caps on and get started!

See you in cyberspace!

Mr. Boettger  : )