Good Choices

This week's V.O.G. class will be devoted to the virtue of responsibility in one very important aspect: making good choices.

One of the things about responsibility that kids always have a hard time with is making the right choices. It's not easy for kids to not do everything that comes up to their minds; learning to stop and think before acting is an ability that takes time.

Kids might say,yes, stop and think, but, what about? well, precisely about your values! relating everything to one's own values, and thinking of the consequences those actions will bring, is the thing to do. Practice makes masters, and the more we help kids remember to stop and think before they act, the more they'll become conscious of it, and do it.

Here is a video to better understand this issue.

Musical at School

This week we´ll continue reinforcing concert hall etiquette with kids, expecting that they will know how to behave at the Elementary musical. we´re all very excited about this event that hopefully will mark the beginning of a school tradition.

Etiquette club had a closure for the year this past week. Students enjoyed having a formal lunch with a nicely set table and did their best to remember their good manners, and put them into practice.

I truly hope that you rejoice with your family on Mother´s Day. Moms, let your kids fill you with small attentions and love throught the day. Happy Mother´s Day...enjoy!

The First Week of May

This week we'll start learning about the virtue of patience. Being patient involves not only waiting, but having a good attitude while waiting, something a bit hard for kids to achieve. Patience is aided by other virtues like serenity and fortitude. Serenity gives us peace of mind to consider situations carefully so that we are able to make wise desicions, and not rush over them. Fortitude helps us to overcome the difficulties encountered when pursuing a goal; for example, we have to be patient to begin over and over, until a task is well done.

Another theme that will be covered in V.O.G. class is the way to show a good concert-hall etiquette. A musical will be presented in school this month, and we want kids to behave correctly. It would be very nice if parents reinforce these ideas at home:
* To enter the auditorium, the student has to stand quietly and follow the usher to assigned seat.
* Student may look at program quietly, but never play with program waving around or rattling it unnesessarily.
* Student has to keep all body parts within his seating area during performance.
* Student should listen politely to the music, do not distract others by talking, moving or playing during performance.
* Student may clap at the end of all musical selections. standing and clapping shows emotion caused by presentation, and is acceptable. Never whistle or scream while clapping.

On the other hand, Etiquette Club will close activities by having a formal lunch with some students from each grade level that have been chosen at random. It has been a very productive year for the Etiquette Club. Kids are making ettiquette a part of their lives, little by little.

On Friday, May 7, the books for the Summer reading will be on sale at school, both in English and Spanish.

Web Quest for Fifth Grade Only

We have discussed in class about the problem of pollution and have watched some videos on the subject.

Now, watch this other video about pollution in our country:




Write any of the following addresses in the URL bar, research your chosen theme and take notes:

http://library.thinkquest.org/TQ0312028/pol/What%20is%20Pollution.htm

http://www.macgregoss.eq.edu.au/qldwebchall/pollution2/index.htm


Now, write your proposal to congress. Remember to focus on what you can personally do to act with responsibility to lessen the effects of pollution.

Print your homework and have it ready for your next V.O.G. class.

Presentation in Pre-School

This information is only for fifth grade students who are participating in the pre-school presentation tomorrow.

Please learn the lyrics to the songs and rhyme. Be at the VOG office at 7:15a.m. tomorrow, and girls, don't forget to bring a flower for your hair.

Earth Day

Our school will be celebrating Earth Day this week. On April 22 there will be an assembly to commemorate the event, and the school's principals will plant trees as part of the ceremony.

All teachers will engage students in activities to help them understand the importance of conservating our planet.

In order to support a vivid experience, every student will receive a young tree to take home and take care of it. If a child does not have a place where to plant the tree, he may bring it back to school and we'll surely find it a place.

Just imagine, there'll be more than 1000 trees planted in our surroundings after April 22!...

The Value of Humility

Sometimes people think that being humble is the same thins as being weak, but the truth is that to be humble a person needs the strength to admit that his great value as a person depends on God. Doing the oppositve equivalents to being arrogant.

It is good to recognize our accomplishments and feel satisfaction about the skills we acquire; the problem is when we turn to talk about them in a boastful manner.
A humble person recognizes that others can also be good or better than himself at things like sport, math, playing an instrument, etc.

This week, we´ll be doing read aloud stories related to humility, and doing interactive writings to be posted in the school´s hallways.




There will be a parent presentation on April 29 about bullying; don´t miss it!, it will be super interesting...