Dear Students,
I got this story from an email from Mr Lam and would like to share it with you. Think about these questions before you read it:
- Have you ever told a lie?
- If your parents did what the writer's father did, would it have worked on you?
Do share personal experiences(about lessons your parents have taught you) in the "comments" section if you can.
Dr. Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mahatma Gandhi and
founder of the M.K.Gandhi Institute for Non-violence,
in his June 9 lecture at the University of Puerto Rico
shared the following story:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I was 16 years old and living with my parents at the
institute my grandfather had founded 18 miles outside
of Durban, South Africa, in the middle of the
sugar plantations. We were deep in the country and had
no neighbors, so my two sisters and I would always
look forward to going to town to visit friends or go
to the movies.
One day, my father asked me to drive him to town for
an all-day conference, and I jumped at the chance.
Since I was going to town, my mother gave me a list of
groceries she needed and, since I had all day in town,
my father asked me to take care of several pending
chores, such as getting the car serviced.
When I dropped my father off that morning, he said, "I
will meet you here at 5:00 p.m., and we will go home
together."
After hurriedly completing my chores, I went straight
to the nearest movie theatre. I got so engrossed in a
John Wayne double-feature that I forgot the time. It
was 5:30 before I remembered. By
the time I ran to the garage and got the car and
hurried to where my father was waiting for me, it was
almost 6:00.
He anxiously asked me, "Why were you late?"
I was so ashamed of telling him I was watching a John
Wayne western movie that I said, "The car wasn't
ready, so I had to wait," not realizing that he had
already called the garage.
When he caught me in the lie, he said: "There's
something wrong in the way I brought you up that
didn't give you the confidence to tell me the truth.
In order to figure out where I went wrong with you,
I'm going to walk home 18 miles and think about it."
So, dressed in his suit and dress shoes, he began to
walk home in the dark on mostly unpaved, unlit roads.
I couldn't leave him, so for five-and-a-half hours I
drove behind him, watching my father go through this
agony for a stupid lie that I uttered. I decided then
and there that I was never going to lie again.
I often think about that episode and wonder, if he
had punished me the way we punish our children,
whether I would have learned a lesson at all. I don't
think so. I would have suffered the punishment and
gone on doing the same thing. But this single
non-violent action was so powerful that it is still as
if it happened yesterday.
That is the power of non-violence.
Miss Lam
Tuesday, 20 February 2007
Wednesday, 14 February 2007
Monday, 12 February 2007
13th February
Dear 5B,
I have left instructions for my relief teacher for the things you need to do in class tomorrow (13/2). Here are your instructions:
You will get:
1) A set of "reported speech" worksheets with notes which you will finish in class. After you finish the worksheets, please get the teacher to go through the answers and peer-mark it with your green pen. Finish your corrections in green and hand it in back to the teacher. If you have any questions, you can ask me on Wednesday.
2) Your spelling exercise books - finish your corrections and get your parents to sign on the latest spelling. Spelling will be on Thursday as usual - no test. Claim your stars on wednesday from me if your have three or more members in your group with full marks.
Thank you.
Yours,
Miss Lam
I have left instructions for my relief teacher for the things you need to do in class tomorrow (13/2). Here are your instructions:
You will get:
1) A set of "reported speech" worksheets with notes which you will finish in class. After you finish the worksheets, please get the teacher to go through the answers and peer-mark it with your green pen. Finish your corrections in green and hand it in back to the teacher. If you have any questions, you can ask me on Wednesday.
2) Your spelling exercise books - finish your corrections and get your parents to sign on the latest spelling. Spelling will be on Thursday as usual - no test. Claim your stars on wednesday from me if your have three or more members in your group with full marks.
Thank you.
Yours,
Miss Lam
Heyya dudes and dudettes!
We have decided not to have a leader in the blog team. So the post that Vivian posted previously... well don't care bout it! =) hahas. Anyway, have fun with this blog! If you have any queries, feel free to ask us through the tagboard. By the way, the tagboard is NOT FOR CHATTING. We hope you will understand. One more thing... do not use vulgarities!
Very very very sincerely,
The Blog Team ( vanessa, vivian, wen lin ).
We have decided not to have a leader in the blog team. So the post that Vivian posted previously... well don't care bout it! =) hahas. Anyway, have fun with this blog! If you have any queries, feel free to ask us through the tagboard. By the way, the tagboard is NOT FOR CHATTING. We hope you will understand. One more thing... do not use vulgarities!
Very very very sincerely,
The Blog Team ( vanessa, vivian, wen lin ).
Should the Tagboard go?
I have just received a report from the blog team about people abusing the tagboard and using profanities (spelt in an alternate manner - because there is a language filter). While I like the idea of having a tagboard, I have an intense aversion to others (or even our own students!) abusing this blog or "polluting" it with profanities.
I have decided to do a little poll - to keep the tagboard or not? Students of 5B, please vote. This is your blog, after all.
You may leave comments about your decision.
Miss Dawn Lam
I have decided to do a little poll - to keep the tagboard or not? Students of 5B, please vote. This is your blog, after all.
You may leave comments about your decision.
Miss Dawn Lam
Thursday, 8 February 2007
An Interesting Story
Students, this is an interesting story - give it a read.
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl,and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”
“This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered.
“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked.
“Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.”
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
“Can my friend,” gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?” the traveler asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
“Excuse me!” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”
“Yes, there’s a pump over there.”
“How about my friend here?” the traveler gestured to the dog.
“There should be a bowl by the pump.”
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
“What do you call this place?” the traveler asked.
“This is Heaven,” he answered.
“Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. “The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.”
“Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s hell.”
“Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?”
“No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”
Miss Dawn Lam
A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.
He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years. He wondered where the road was leading them.
After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.
When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl,and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.
When he was close enough, he called out, “Excuse me, where are we?”
“This is Heaven, sir,” the man answered.
“Wow! Would you happen to have some water?” the man asked.
“Of course, sir. Come right in, and I’ll have some ice water brought right up.”
The man gestured, and the gate began to open.
“Can my friend,” gesturing toward his dog, “come in, too?” the traveler asked.
“I’m sorry, sir, but we don’t accept pets.”
The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.
After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.
As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.
“Excuse me!” he called to the man. “Do you have any water?”
“Yes, there’s a pump over there.”
“How about my friend here?” the traveler gestured to the dog.
“There should be a bowl by the pump.”
They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.
The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.
When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.
“What do you call this place?” the traveler asked.
“This is Heaven,” he answered.
“Well, that’s confusing,” the traveler said. “The man down the road said that was Heaven, too.”
“Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That’s hell.”
“Doesn’t it make you mad for them to use your name like that?”
“No, we’re just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind.”
Miss Dawn Lam
Wednesday, 7 February 2007
The double water bottle loss
Hi, good afternoon.
I want to tell everyone about a strange thing that happened last week. I wanted to write this in my journal at first but now, I can write it in the class blog so that Miss Lam will not scold me for writing entries that are not needed in the journal.
Last week, on Monday, I had lost my water bottle. I could have sworn that I had put it in the water bottle holder of my bag. I went to the lost-and-found tabe which is located outside the canteen the following day but it was not there. I decided to give up. But the following day, which was a Wednesday, alas! my new replacement water bottle was missing! And I could'nt find it the next day at the lost-and-found table! Either I was too careless, or a sneaky thief is lurking somewhere.
He is not going to get away on his third attempt, I swear it!
Teen Fong
I want to tell everyone about a strange thing that happened last week. I wanted to write this in my journal at first but now, I can write it in the class blog so that Miss Lam will not scold me for writing entries that are not needed in the journal.
Last week, on Monday, I had lost my water bottle. I could have sworn that I had put it in the water bottle holder of my bag. I went to the lost-and-found tabe which is located outside the canteen the following day but it was not there. I decided to give up. But the following day, which was a Wednesday, alas! my new replacement water bottle was missing! And I could'nt find it the next day at the lost-and-found table! Either I was too careless, or a sneaky thief is lurking somewhere.
He is not going to get away on his third attempt, I swear it!
Teen Fong
Tuesday, 6 February 2007
Class Blog Rules
Dear students,
I'm glad the idea of having a class blog is so warmly received. However, in all your excitement, some might have forgotten what I told you earlier today in class. So here's a gentle reminder of the class blog rules:
Rules
1)No anonymous posts are allowed. (And for this reason, I've deleted the previous "Hello" post)
2)No slants against anybody please. (that means your classmates, friends, anybody)
3)Remember that you (5B) are not the only people reading the blog - be careful with what you say.
4)Please do not edit or delete posts - leave it to the blog team. You are only to post, that is, if you have anything to say.
Thank you,
Miss Dawn Lam
I'm glad the idea of having a class blog is so warmly received. However, in all your excitement, some might have forgotten what I told you earlier today in class. So here's a gentle reminder of the class blog rules:
Rules
1)No anonymous posts are allowed. (And for this reason, I've deleted the previous "Hello" post)
2)No slants against anybody please. (that means your classmates, friends, anybody)
3)Remember that you (5B) are not the only people reading the blog - be careful with what you say.
4)Please do not edit or delete posts - leave it to the blog team. You are only to post, that is, if you have anything to say.
Thank you,
Miss Dawn Lam
The Blog Team
These are the students who will be in charge of maintaining the blog:
Vanessa (Leader)
Vivian
Wen Lin
Miss Lam
Vanessa (Leader)
Vivian
Wen Lin
Miss Lam
Monday, 5 February 2007
Dear students of 5B and all,
Salutations!
Welcome to the class blog of 5B!
This blog was created by myself, and maintained by the blog team, in order to make learning for my students more fun and meaningful. The internet is a huge, huge bank of information and knowledge and I believe that besides research, within it lies many valuable lessons that students can learn.
Here, you'll find posts by and for students of 5B. There are useful links that I've provided in the sidebar, which I will keep updating over time. There is also a "Class Action Suit" tagboard which I've added for students who have problems/complains/issues/anything that they might want to address/share with the class and everybody.
Have a nice time surfing this blog!
Miss Dawn Lam
Salutations!
Welcome to the class blog of 5B!
This blog was created by myself, and maintained by the blog team, in order to make learning for my students more fun and meaningful. The internet is a huge, huge bank of information and knowledge and I believe that besides research, within it lies many valuable lessons that students can learn.
Here, you'll find posts by and for students of 5B. There are useful links that I've provided in the sidebar, which I will keep updating over time. There is also a "Class Action Suit" tagboard which I've added for students who have problems/complains/issues/anything that they might want to address/share with the class and everybody.
Have a nice time surfing this blog!
Miss Dawn Lam
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