Semester End Housecleaning – “Spectakalar”

Posted on May 15, 2012 by MsPetes

We have just a couple of things to take care of today:

1.  Seniors – if you have not done so already, create an e mail account at gmail, hotmail, etc NOW – your state e mail account will go “poof” and be gone very soon.

2.  Everyone – We have a survey for the  Hunger Helpers (vegetable plant) grant that needs to be completed before you check out.  It’s pretty simple and looks like this:

You can access the grant survey here.

3.  Make a note of your blog address, user name and password.  We’ll be using the blogs again next year.  Having yours already set up will save time next fall.

4.  If you need any electronic record keeping pages for your SAE for the summer, please get those off of the dropbox and save to a jump drive ( as an excel document) before you turn in your computer.

5.  Shoot me an e mail with your summer  contact info.  If you’ll still be checking your K12 e mail; let me know, otherwise, let me know where and how to contact you.  I’d also like your cell phone number if I don’t already have it.

6.  Have someone shoot pictures of you doing your thing this summer.  We will need at least 6 photos of you working in your SAE for proficiency applications next year.  If you will be applying in more than one area, you will need pictures for each area.

7.  Semester Exam Post – On your blog react to the following:

What do you think about “U-Mart’s” Policy regarding limiting opportunities of their employees and how they interpreted it?  Do you think that Larry’s lack of a college education was limiting his opportunities at “U-Mart”?  Would you have fired Larry had you been the “front office staff”?  How have your opportunities be limited?  Has there been a person or organization/group who has limited your opportunities?  Have you been responsible for limiting your own opportunities?  -Please explain.   How can you overcome any limits whether real or imaginary in your life?

If you were to write the sequel to Larry Crowne, what would the story line be?  Write 3-5 sentences about the plot line and what you think happens in Larry’s life next.

Have a “Spectakalar” Summer!  Make smart choices, take care of yourself, get to know your parents, spend time with your friends, learn something, read a good book, wear sunscreen, do something nice for someone else, sleep in, play in the mud, and enjoy being young!  See you in August if not before.

LP

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Can You Juggle?

Posted on May 7, 2012 by MsPetes

From time to time, we all drop the ball or let things slide.  We are either too busy, too lazy, too uninterested or too focused on something else and we don’t complete something that we set out to do.  Sometimes we end up letting others down, sometimes we only hurt ourselves.  We all try to juggle too many things from time to time.  Some of us are better at keeping all the balls in the air than others of us.

Today’s prompt has many portions.   Please be sure to answer all of the questions!

On your blog, answer and/or react to the following:

1.  What are your priorities?  List all the things that you are involved with and that take up your time.  List them in their order of importance to you.

2.  Do your priorities line up with what your friends and family think they should be? How are they different?

3.  When have you dropped the ball during the past year?  Who did you let down?  How did you make the choice for what thing or responsibility that you would let slide?  What have you learned from this experience?

4.  What choices can you make or habits can you change to help you keep all the balls in the air?

5.  Are there activities or hobbies that you are involved in where you are simply going through the motions?  You are in them but don’t participate fully, don’t take advantage of the opportunities that they provide, or they simply are not important enough to you to put in more effort or time.

6.  If there is an activity that you listed in number 5 – why are you still “in it”?  Are you wasting your time, taking up space that someone else might gain something from?  If you did not list something in number 5 – do you know someone or something that is described there?

7.  All of you have matured during this past year.  Some of you physically, some of you mentally, some of you intellectually, and finally, some of you emotionally.  Many of you have matured in more than one area.  Tell me about your changes in maturity.  How has your thinking changed?  How have your priorities changed?  What have you learned?

8.  What are your goals for the summer?  Please create three SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound)  For example your goal might look something like this:

I will begin a second round of Insanity on June 4, 2012 and finish July 30, 2012 with no more than five missed or skipped workouts.

My goal is specific – to begin and complete a second round of Insanity.  My goal is measurable – I either finish or I don’t.  My goal is attainable – unless I break a leg or blow out a knee.  My goal is realistic – I am building in the opportunity to miss or skip a workout due to vacation etc. Finally, my goal is time bound – by July 30th I will be finished with the second round of Insanity.

Your post is due Wednesday, May 9, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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Lincoln and Agriculture

Posted on May 3, 2012 by MsPetes

Banquet Day has arrived!  We start eating at 7:00 p.m. that means that you and your family and your food should arrive prior to that time.

Please remember, this is an occasion to wear Official Dress.

Please familiarize yourself with the following part of the Opening Ceremonies:

President:  FFA Members, why are we here?

Members: To practice brotherhood, honor agricultural opportunities and responsibilities and develop those qualities of leadership which an FFA member should possess.

For today; the USDA is celebrating its 150th anniversary.  From the USDA website “In a three month span in 1862, Lincoln signed into law three important pieces of legislation that would have a profound and lasting impact on U.S. agriculture and society.”  One such piece of legislation was an act that established the United States Department of Agriculture.  Check out this site.  On your blog, list those important pieces of legislation, the year they were passed, any co-sponsors, and what each act did.  Do any of these pieces of legislation affect you personally today?

Read Lincoln’s Milwaukee Speech.  Paraphrase what he said about the importance of Agriculture to America.

Your post is due at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, May 7, 2012.

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Notes about Blogs and Challenges

Posted on May 1, 2012 by MsPetes

Seniors who would like to be on the nominating committee:  Interviews begin today during this class.  You will be selecting the officers to lead our chapter for the next year.

A few notes about your blogs – Several of you miss just about every deadline.  We’ve been blogging for more than 8 months now, some of you have been blogging for nearly 2 years.  There really is no excuse at this point.  Second – Most of your grade this quarter depends on your blog posts – if you expect an A then write A material.  If you are ok with a D, then just a few lines will be fine.  Your posts should require some thought and time.  Many that I read, clearly have not had much of either invested in them.  Third – clean up the language in your posts!

On your blog:

Tell me about the most challenging experience you have had in convincing a parent, teacher, or coach  to accept a new idea.  How did you do it and what was the outcome?  Spend some time laying out the story, tell me who the characters are, what was the situation, how did you arrive at your idea, were others in favor or opposed to it, what reactions did your idea or suggestion receive?

Your post is due Thursday, May 3, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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In National News……..

Posted on April 27, 2012 by MsPetes

I received this news release from my professional organization’s legislative action committee:

U.S. Department of Labor Withdraws Proposed Rule About Child Labor in Agriculture

April 26, 2012 – The U.S. Department of Labor issued the following statement regarding the withdrawal of a proposed rule dealing with children who work in agricultural vocations:

“The Obama Administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations. The Obama Administration is also deeply committed to listening and responding to what Americans across the country have to say about proposed rules and regulations. As a result, the Department of Labor is announcing today the withdrawal of the proposed rule dealing with children under the age of 16 who work in agricultural vocations. The decision to withdraw this rule – including provisions to define the ‘parental exemption’ – was made in response to thousands of comments expressing concerns about the effect of the proposed rules on small family-owned farms. To be clear, this regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama Administration. Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders – such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H – to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”

This is a huge victory for American production agriculture, and for school-based agricultural education. Thanks to all who made the choice to get involved in preventing this proposed rulemaking from being implemented. Good work Team Ag Ed!

It turns out that South Dakota was more deeply embroiled in this issue than you may have realized.  Read this article.  View this video.

On your blog, react to the following:  What are your thoughts about this issue  now?   How do you feel about the fact that you played a role in reversing these regulations?  How has this issue and your involvement in or with it impacted your desire to remain aware and informed?  How will you continue to be involved in helping to shape legislation?  If you could point a finger of blame at someone or an entity, for drafting this proposed legislation; who would it be – the President, USDA, DOL, Secretary of Labor, Secretary of Agriculture, someone else?  Do you think it was appropriate for Senator Thune to become deeply involved in this issue?  Please share any other reaction you may have to this latest development in the proposed child labor law revisions.

Your post is due Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

Please sign up for the banquet potluck.

Senior videos are due today by 3:30 in the dropbox.

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Cheerleader, Coach or Mentor

Posted on April 25, 2012 by MsPetes

There is a sign up sheet on the door for the Banquet.  Please sign up.

Officer Interviews will be sometime next week.  More than likely during Ag Leadership.  If you are interested in running for Chapter Office please get an application from Mrs. Petersen

Seniors – your parent videos are due Friday by 3:30.  There is a folder in the dropbox titled Senior Videos.  You may either drop them there or leave them on the flipcam and I will retrieve them.

Please view this video.  See further instructions below.

On your blog answer the following questions:

Who has acted as your cheerleader, coach or mentor throughout your life?  Has there been more than one person who has played that role?  Have there been different mentors for different accomplishments in your life?  Tell me about it. Did it change the impact of the football player’s accomplishment when he discovered that the player he carried weighed more than originally thought?  Did it change how the coach felt about the player who carried him?  Has there been an occasion in your life when you have accomplished something that you didn’t think you could? How have you acted as a mentor, cheerleader, or coach for another person?

Your blog post is due Friday, April 27, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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Skills, Passion or Talent?

Posted on April 11, 2012 by MsPetes

State FFA Convention – Sunday – Tuesday, April 15 – 17, 2012

Sunday – Ag Mech, Food Science, Natural Resources, Ag Comm, District Officers and Proficiency Finalists.  We leave from school at 1:00 p.m. in OD

Monday – Ag Mech, Ag Comm, Food Science, Livestock, Horses, Nursery Landscape, Floriculture, Dairy Foods, District Officers – We leave at 6:30 a.m.  In OD. This will be a very long day!  State Degree recipients should be in place for the 7:00 session Monday evening.  If you parents are coming, please let me know so that I can help them find seats.

Tuesday – all members who wish to attend.  You must be signed up so that I can get you on the list to teachers.  Make up slips are on the door.  We leave at 7:00 a.m. in OD.  We will be back by 3:00 p.m.

The FFA Banquet will be Thursday, May 3, 2012.  Please make arrangements to ask off of work for that evening.  We could use a couple of volunteers who would like to put together a slide show/Keynote/Prezi with pictures from the year.  Information on Chapter Officer interviews will be forthcoming.  Seniors – start thinking about a plan for conducting officer interviews.

For today:

Tell me about a time when you used a specific set of skills or talents to complete a project or deal with a situation.  What was it about this project or situation that best used this specific skill or talent.  Did you realize that you had talents in this area prior to completing the project or dealing with the situation?  When or how did you discover that you had a skill, passion or talent that you wanted to further develop? Where are you in the process of developing that talent; if 1 is “just beginning”, 3 is “working on it,  but not there yet” and 5 being “I’ve mastered it!” How will this skill/passion/talent benefit you in the future?

Your post is due Friday, April 13, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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Worms, Stitches, and Carpe Diem!

Posted on April 3, 2012 by MsPetes

Today’s prompt comes to us courtesy of Grey’s Anatomy:

Meredith Grey~ A couple of hundred years ago, Benjamin Franklin shared with the world the secret of his success. “Never leave that till tomorrow”, he said, “which you can do today.”

This is the man who discovered electricity. You think more people would listen to what he had to say. I don’t know why we put things off, but if I had to guess, I’d have to say it has a lot to do with fear. Fear of failure, fear of rejection, sometimes the fear is just of making a decision, because what if you’re wrong? What if you’re making a mistake you can’t undo?

The early bird catches the worm.

A stitch in time saves nine.

He who hesitates is lost.

We can’t pretend we hadn’t been told. We’ve all heard the proverbs, heard the philosophers, heard our grandparents warning us about wasted time, heard the poets urging us to seize the day. Still sometimes we have to see for ourselves. We have to make our own mistakes. We have to learn our own lessons. We have to sweep today’s possibility under tomorrow’s rug until we can’t anymore. Until we finally understand for ourselves what Benjamin Franklin really meant. That knowing is better than wondering, that waking is better than sleeping, and even the biggest failure, even the worst, beat the hell out of never trying.”

On your blog react to the following: We have 5, count them, 5 Mondays left of the school year!  In the weeks that remain, how will you “seize the day”?  What one thing have you been putting off or procrastinating about that you need to choose to do NOW?  What decision have you been laboring over?  Lay out all the facts, why is this decision so hard for you to make.  Is it like Meredith said and that you may simply be afraid of making the choice and watching things play out?  We all waste time, I’m just as guilty as the rest of you.  Where does your wasted time lie?  Has Pinterest claimed it?  Has the TV or Facebook sucked you in?  Where do you believe that you waste most of your time?  Do you get pulled into a good book and nothing else can happen until you see the characters through? What tasks or assignments have suddenly become more difficult for you?  Did you understand your Math class up until about two weeks ago?  What actions can you take to change all these things?  What’s your plan?  Develop some goals and action steps and give them a timeline.

Your post is due Friday, April 6, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.

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CDE Status

Posted on March 20, 2012 by MsPetes

Seniors – the 10 of you who will be receiving the State FFA Degree (if you are unsure, check the first paragraph of this post)- please let your parents know that your degree will be conferred on Monday, April 16, 2012 at the 7:00 p.m. session in Frost Arena on the campus of SDSU.  Start rounding up good OD.  You won’t be allowed to go across the stage without OD.  They will check your shoes, tie, etc before you get to the steps to go on stage,  if you are missing a part they will run a courtesy corps person on stage in your place.  If you won’t be attending, we will have another chapter member take your place.

On your blog, react quickly to the following (I’m not expecting numerous paragraphs, I’d rather you spend the time studying for CDEs and completing make up work from yesterday):

Where are you with preparations for your respective CDE?  Lennox is our final round of preliminary CDEs, those events will be held Thursday, March 29th, a Blue Day.  Sign up today for Lennox, registration is due this afternoon.

I need to complete our State convention Registration on April 2, 2012.  Any team that we register we will have to pay the team fee for.  So, if you or your team are having second thoughts about competing, please let me know so that we can either find different people for that team or not register for that CDE.  We are looking for a few people to compete in Ag Sales with Joe.  This event is Sunday night – so if you are in Ag Comm, Ag Mechanics, Natural Resources or Food Science – you will already be busy during this time.  You can find the rules for Ag Sales here.

Go forth and study – this does not mean play games on your iPod or computer.  Get the boxes down, check the dropbox folder for materials, check the livebinders site, ask our SDSU folks for help – especially Food Science and Livestock.

 

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Habit + Attitude = Habitude

Posted on March 2, 2012 by MsPetes

Greetings from an uncomfortable airport chair!  Please read this entire post.

The sign up sheet for our first CDE of the Spring is on the door.  You must be signed up by March 7th to compete.   TriValley CDEs will be held March 12th which, by my calculations, is a white day.  We will be gone all day for this event.

Please check the new rules for your CDE and have a read through them.  A lot has changed!  Several CDEs have added or changed identification lists. You can find them here. (Scroll down)

We still do not know what the product is for Food Science, but it should be decided and posted soon.  You might want to check to see if has been posted today.  To do so, go here, scroll down to almost the bottom of the “CDE Information” on the left side, you are looking for “2012 Food Science Team Product”.

In the mean time, Study – start digging through the boxes and preparing for your CDE.  Don’t forget about the Livebinders site we set up last year for CDE prep.  There is a virtual binder for every CDE.  Access the site by going to livebinders.com.  The user name is “WCFFA”  the password is “2010wcffa”.  Feel free to add new materials to the appropriate shelf or binder.

I have several State Officer and/or Ambassador applications from seniors.  Reminder – they are due March 7th.

On your blog, today (by 3:30 p.m.) do the following:

Tell me what you did in class today.  If you studied for a CDE, tell me what you did.  If you found new online resources, provide a link to them in your post. Did you add the online resources that you found to the livebinders site?  If not, please go and do that.  The log in information can be found earlier in this post.  Did you create a Keynote with ID pictures for your CDE?  If so, please place it on the dropbox so that others may benefit from your brilliance and hard work.  Please place it in the appropriate folder within the “Spring CDE Prep” folder.  What needs to be done with your respective CDE box to help you and your team better prepare?  What resources can I help you find to place in your box or in the dropbox?

Secondly – Please react to this: (this portion is not due today, see bottom of post for due date)

Your post on this second portion, is due Tuesday, March 6, 2012 at 8:30 a.m.  The first portion is due Friday, March 2, 2012 by the end of the school day.

 

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