This is not a fairy tale. This is a true story of a person we will call Bill, who came to know and be mentored by two other individuals, Bob and Jim. Jim came into Bill’s life first and had so much knowledge to share and was very willing to do so. Bill would make mistakes – in fact on a fairly regular basis, but Jim was always there to help out and to show Bill the way. In fact despite the fact that Bill wondered if he would ever be as good as Jim he was very happy to have someone around to show him where he was going wrong. Later in Bills life he had another mentor. His name was Bob.
Courtesy: Definitions
Each Month we define and discuss a word of character development with all of our students. This month the word is Courtesy. It will be defined this way.
Young students: Courtesy means “I am thoughtful, polite and kind to others.”
Older students: Courtesy means showing respect kindness and consideration for others.
Teamwork responsibilities
Being on a team brings with it certain responsibilities. We have the responsibility to carry out our assignments and to do the best we can with them. There may be times that we do not enjoy doing the assignment we have, but we do them because it will help the team. This may happen at home with chores we have agreed to perform, or in school on a project that we are working on a team. If everyone only did what they wanted to do or liked to do, it is likely that our goals would not be met. In fact we may have to compromise at times and agree to do what is best for the team. However there may be times when we should not go along with the team.
Business Partner of the Year
Joe Van Deuren, Owner of Balanced Life Skills, was recently selected as Business Partner of the Year to Anne Arundel County Public Schools by the Annapolis and Anne Arundel County Chamber of Commerce. The award was made at a special dinner held at the BWI Marriott Hotel. Joe was nominated by Linda Lamon, Signature Program Facilitator of South River High School where he serves on the business advisory board. She says, “Mr. Joe is a part of our school and our lives. His goal is to make life better through his years of business and life skills by giving to others and he has developed many programs to help educators as a way to celebrate their commitment to education and appreciate their work. We were proud to nominate him for this award.” Continue reading “Business Partner of the Year”
Reduce our consumption
There is a lot to think about here in this video. Of the 3 R’s Reduce, Reuse, & Recycle, it is my personal opinion that Reduce has the largest impact on the entire world and not just our corner of the world. This video makes some powerful points. http://www.storyofstuff.com/ I have personally made it a point to reduce consumption of goods. I ask myself about what I am buying or throwing away. Could I continue to use it or find someone who can use it? Do I really need something new or is it just a want? Will you join me in the quest to reduce?
The first to complete the entire 5/6 program
Balanced Life Skills is so pleased to announce the first two students to complete the entire 5/6 curriculum and receive their 5/6 Lil Dragon Black Belt. These two students were just awesome at their test and when we gave them the boards to break normally reserved for older students they had no problem at all making the break. They are focused, determined and very strong.