A few things to take care of before we get to the prompt for the Semester Exam post:

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.  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.

3.  Underclassmen – make sure your SAE records are uploaded to dropbox.com.  They will be there for you to access all summer so that you can keep your records up to date.  Keep track of hours worked, money made, money spent on things for your SAE.  For instance – if you buy cattle or seed to plant, write it down so we have that information for next year.

4.  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.

5.  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.  There is cash money to be earned here!

6.  Semester Exam Post – On your blog react to the following: (There’s a lot here, so read carefully)

Based on the movie and your vast knowledge of American History, do you believe that Lincoln ignored the courts?  Do you think that he twisted the meaning of his Presidential powers where freeing slaves was concerned?

Why did Lincoln stall the commissioners by having them wait at Hampton Roads?

What do you think upset the House of Representatives more – the possibility of allowing African Americans to vote or granting that right to women?

Who was your favorite actor/character in the film?  What surprised you in the movie? What did you learn?

If we look at History vs Hollywood – how accurate do you think the film was?

What are your impressions of Mary Todd Lincoln as portrayed in the film?  What impact do you think she had on Lincoln’s Presidency?  His convictions?

I enjoyed Lincoln’s story telling in the movie. Especially his quote of Euclid and it’s significance to what was happening in our country’s history at the time.  The quote is this:  ”Things which are equal to the same thing are equal to each other.”  What favorite lines or stories do you have from the film?

Why do you think congress people abstained? What does it mean to abstain?

If you had served in Congress during this time and had been Speaker of the House, would you have wanted to vote on the 13th amendment?

What were your thoughts when you discovered why Mr. Thaddeus Stevens (Tommy Lee Jones) took the original copy of the bill home with him?

I believe that the film Lincoln does a great job of telling the story of how one person can make a huge difference in the lives of others.  Granted, he had the power of the office of President of the United States behind him.  He chose to stand up for what he thought was best for the country and it’s people. He paid for that with his life.

For today:

Fairly straight forward.  Tell me all about it.  Are you a better person for this big change?  When you look back on it, was it a subtle change over time or was their something sudden that impacted who you are and how you behave?  How would you, or your life, be different had this change not occurred?  Did the change affect other people in your life?  If so, who, why, how?  At the time, was the change one you needed or wanted?  Looking back, did it become something you needed to happen for your own growth, happiness, wellbeing, etc?

Your post is due Friday, May 3, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

Our Banquet will be Tuesday, May 7, 2013.  We will be in the Becker Center this year.  The Banquet will again be a potluck – my favorite meal!  I’ve already mentioned to a few sophomore and sophomore parents that that class has been assigned main dishes.  Maty and Sara – decide what the other grade levels are to bring and write it on the board.  (desserts, salads, beverages etc).  Let me know what you decide.

Officers – It’s time to work on Opening Ceremonies.  Members, brush up on the “To Practice Brotherhood” portion of the Opening Ceremonies.  You can access the script here.

Let’s call today “Put Stuff Away Day”.  Get all of your CDE study materials together, make notes about what you remember from the state event, place EVERYTHING in your CDE box and let’s get them back up on the shelf.

Matt – I lost track of the Ag comm Editing quizzes and score sheets?  Last I saw them I had given them to you to review last week Friday.  If you know where they are, please place them on my desk and/or let me know where they are.  I also sent you a couple of pictures for the story you are doing on Ag Comm.  Let me know what other information you need.

We’ll be working on updating your SAE records between now and the end of the year.  Get things together so we can fill in all the appropriate pages.  We will more than likely be doing some of this work together so that everyone knows what they need to be doing.

For today:

Read this article.

Or view the images of the article below:

On your blog, react to EACH of the Five things Moms get wrong at the Grocery Store.  Did any of them surprise you?  Did anything really resonate with you as something you’ll never forget?  Did you have any Ah-hah moments about any of the items?  Who is the sponsoring organization of this flyer/poster?  What do you know about them as an organization? Have you had the opportunity to have any of these discussions with family, friends, neighbors?  Tell me about your experience.  What can we, as agricultural communicators do to help educate our patrons?  How can we tell the accurate story of American Agriculture?

Your post is due Thursday, April 25, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

Sunday, April 14, 2013 – Leave school at noon: Ag Comm – Individual Events, Food Science – Individual Events, Vet Science, Natural Resources, Star in Agriscience – Liz, Star Greenhand – Rachel, All District Officers.  Justin will receive his proficiency award at the evening session but will be traveling with his parents later in the day.

Monday – Food Sci, Ag Comm, Livestock, Agronomy, Dairy Cattle, Horse and
Floriculture will all compete.  Ag Comm will do their team presentation and Food Science will do their team presentation.

Monday Night – State Degree Banquet – Liz and Rachel and their parents will be seated with their respective Star Sponsors.  At the 7:00 Session all State Degrees will be awarded – Jorry, Kassie, Kailey, Maty, Angelo, Anthony L., Anthony E, Liz, Matt and Nick.

Tuesday – All District Officers and all else who wish to attend.  This will be awards day when we learn how we did in each CDE.

For Today – Study for your respective CDE

and:

What’s something negative that you think about too often?  How much of your time and energy do you take up with negative messages and thoughts to yourself?  How does all of this negative self talk affect your mood?  What negative things do you say to yourself?  Is it that you need to be a better student, better friend, better family member, better athlete? Do you need to be more fit, skinnier, more muscular, have different hair?  What is it that you don’t like about yourself?  Is it something that you can change, or are you stuck with it?

Your post is due Monday, April 8, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

Watch this video:

I was unable to upload the video to the blog as it is too large a file.  If you have trouble watching, come see me.

On your blog, react to the following:

1. What was your initial response to this video?
2. How does this video pertain to agriculture?
3. How does this video relate to you personally?
4. Dr. Lehr went up to complete strangers and started talking about agriculture, what would you say to those who did not know anything about agriculture?  What would you inform them about? How would you deal with those who disagreed with you?
5. You may have had similar experiences when explaining to others what FFA is and why you are involved – tell me about it.
6. What was one fact that you learned about during this video? Was anything surprising to you?
7. As a leader in the agriculture industry, what can you and other leaders in the industry do to promote agriculture as a whole?

Your post is due Thursday, March 28th at 8:30 a.m.

In other news – we leave at 8 Tuesday morning for Tri Valley CDEs.  Kristi Noem will be here Thursday at 10 (that’s 2nd block – Blue ) to work with Ag Issues.  We’ll practice Wednesday in the Auditorium during SRB.

Pizza sales – last call.  I’ll be tabulating your orders and getting them to the Alumni folks on Wednesday.

Start planning for State Convention.  Seniors that applied for the State Degree – you will receive your award on Monday night (April 15, 2013) during the 7:00 p.m. session. (Maty, Liz, Angelo, Anthony, Jorry, Matt VDW, Nick, Kailey, Kassie).  This may be an event that you’d like to invite your parents to attend.

As we go through life there are always things that will stand in our way. Some are temporary road blocks. Some are more long term roadblocks. They can be anything from scheduling conflicts to our own attitude.

What obstacles have you faced?  How did you overcome them? Are there actions you could have taken to prevent these challenges? What things do you anticipate becoming roadblocks for you in the future? How are you going to get through them? How can we make sure our attitudes aren’t a roadblock for us?

Your blog post is due Monday, March 18, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

I submitted our registration for Flandreau CDEs last week Friday.  If your name was not on the list, you won’t be going.  I’ll also be checking grades tomorrow or Thursday.  Those with D’s and F’s may not be going.

Sign up for Tri Valley by this week Thursday!  Lennox by the 20th!

If I don’t have your Rules of conduct paperwork – I need it prior to you attending a CDE away from WC.  We leave Monday at 8, it’s a Blue day, you will be gone all day and return to school by 3.

Ag Comm – read the e mail that I sent last week and again on Sunday.  Pick something(s) and do it(them).  We have to have our Media PLan done to mail before Good Friday – March 29th.  This will include ALL of our brochures, flyers, etc.

Ag Issues – we are confirmed to work with Kristi Noem on Thursday, March 28th at 10 a.m.  We should run through our presentation a couple of times prior to that presentation!  So – how about SRB on Wednesday this week?

I have run copies of sample CDE exams that you will be working through today.  Use any references you have available to you.  Work through them as a group if you would like.  I have all the answer keys.

Hoven will not be coming next week for their side of the exchange.  We are up in the air right now as to if we’ll be going there or not the following week.  It all rides on their boys basketball team.  They play for the District Championship tonight (Potter County).  If they advance through tonight and win the Region Championship we will have to find other dates.  Since there aren’t a lot of people in Hoven to begin with and if their boys make it to the state basketball tournament, there will be even fewer people there during the time we are to visit.

Let’s keep studying for CDEs. I’m very pleased with the progress that some of our teams are making.  Keep it up!

On your blog, react to the following: What kind of people does the world need more of?  Why? How would the world be changed by having more of your suggested kind of people?  What qualities would they have? How might these people have changed the course of history for our country or others?

Your post is due Monday, March 4, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.

Today will be dedicated to studying for CDE’s.  Get the box down, go through the materials, print, copy etc resources so that you can put in some time preparing.  Check the latest rules and print a copy for the box. You can find them here - scroll down to the bottom of the page.  Check the door, make sure you are signed up for the event you are planning to compete in.

Dates for CDEs are March 18 – Flandreau, March 26 – Tri Valley, April 2 – Lennox.  State Convention is April 14-16.

On your blog – tell me what you did to prepare.  What needs to be done yet, what resources need to be copied or procured, etc. Where you need help.  Any ideas you have for possible resource people to help train your team.

Your post is due at the end of your class period today.

Study -use your time wisely!

With social media surrounding our lives, we may often think of “following” in a different way.  You may “follow” someone on Twitter; someone in turn may “follow” you.

On your blog, react to the following:  If I, or your classmates were to follow you, where would you be in five years? If we were to follow you on social media would we be proud to know you?  Are your actions and words equal to our expectations of the person you are to become?  Would we be disappointed in the person that we view based on social media activity?

I realize you’re not all active on Facebook or Twitter.  I also believe that you are all smart enough to have some idea of the kinds of things that might paint you in a negative light if you were to engage in them on social media.  How important is your online persona to your long term reputation?

In the more literal sense, where do you hope to be in five years?  For some of you that means tech school, the military or college.  For some of you, you may be starting your first job.  Where will you be? What will you be doing?  What do you hope your life looks like?

Your post is due Thursday, February 21, 2013  - Snow day or not – at 8:30 a.m.