Child Education

One man,  Adam, was visiting India when he was inspired and heart broken by the devistating encounters he had with the Indian children.  “It began with a question. A small boy begging on the streets of India. ‘What do you want most in the world?’ I asked, ‘A pencil.’” Adam, like many people, is starting to realize how important it is to educate the youth all around the world to give them a future instead of resorting to things that could cause self harm or even death. Many children in impovershed countries are either forced into labor, slavery, marriage at such a young age, or simply can’t afford or don’t have access to an education. It is because of organizations such as ‘Pencils of Promise’ is fighting for the right for all children to be educated. This organization is dedicated to fulfilling childrens rights to an education, by giving them access to a learning environment by building schools in impovershed areas, and educating the public on the lack of child education.

According to the Right to Education Project,  all children have to right to learn and be educated for a better future, and they are doing everything possible to uphold that right. This committee has many goals to aim for to give children easier access to education. “States Parties recognize the right of the child to education, and with a view to achieving this right progressively and on the basis of equal opportunity, they shall, in particular:

(a) Make primary education compulsory and available free to all;
(c) Make higher education accessible to all on the basis of capacity by every appropriate means;
(d) Make educational and vocational information and guidance available and accessible to all children;
(e) Take measures to encourage regular attendance at schools and the reduction of drop-out rates.”

As you can see, they have considered many specific ways to try and increase the amount of kids going to school, or at least primary school. The fact these essentials aren’t available in the first place is saddening. However, the lacking of these things has caught the publics attention. They are now focusing on the most important ways to increase how many children go to school. By giving them easier access and even to encourage kids who feel the need to drop out. These are all effective ways, to help a child get a better education. These children are however, discriminated against based on their color, race, gender, etc.“States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the present Convention to each child within their jurisdiction without discrimination of any kind, irrespective of the child's or his or her parent's or legal guardian's race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, ethnic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status.”This quote states that there is obviously an issue with kids and their race, gender, sex and religion. Discrimination is brought upon these children and they are often denied the access to education despite rights that state they should have the same schooling oportunities as more well-off children. The Rights to Education Project has cleary stated the difference between right and wrong and are working to give children the standard needs and help them for the better.

Though the Right to Education project is a good way of informing the public, the Pencils of Promise organization is about taking action and doing what’s right by building schools in places that are in need.Pencils of Promise is trying to focus on a specific goal that they are steadily aiming to achieve. “we focus on building strong structures and sustainable education programs. By forming long-lasting, collaborative relationships with communities, we increase access to quality education and positively impact students and parents in high-need communities throughout Laos, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.”Pencils of Promise is a non-profit ogranization that takes action because other people are failing to do so. They are focused on the  good of the children as they are willing to put in time, without getting paid, to build these schools, sometimes with their own two hands. Aiming to give a better future for these kids, Pencils of Promise is hoping to impact people with a need for a basic foundation of education.With out that, children have much less of a future in life, they are more likely to fail to get employed because of their lack of knowledge. “Poverty rates for high school dropouts is three times higher than poverty rates among high school graduates. Poverty rates for men and women at different levels of educational attainment show a gap that narrows as people go up the educational ladder. For example, in 1994 the poverty rate in the U.S. for men 25 to 54 years of age who did not finish high school was 27% and 38 percent for women.”It is evident in this quote that education reflects how your life will be after you finish schooling. Or even if you don’t get a chance to go to school. Many children, however, would love to go to school, but simply don’t have access or they must walk miles before they get to a decent one. That’s why, by slowly building schools in places with a need and hunger for education, you can change a child's life and ensure them of a better future.Pencils of Promise has learned what they had to do, and instead of waiting around, they rolled their sleeves up and did it themselves for the kids, they have now successfully broken ground on their 100th school and are starting to get the public’s attention.

It is of course, most important to educate the children, but the easiest and sure fire way to do so is by educating the public as well.The public has the power, they hold everything in the palms of their hands, money, opinions, connections, voice, you can do something, but with the public on your side, you are more likely to succeed. “Thousands have joined us, making contributions through acts both large and small.There are more than 75 million children without access to education, and we intend to change this.” Pencils of Promise is a steady organization, but it really depends on the public's reaction. They are trying to gain as many followers as possible by reaching out to different communities.  Adam Braun, the CEO, has connections to people around the world and uses that to his advantage. For example, Adam’s brother, Scott (a.k.a Scooter) works in the music industry and has signed many well known artists such as Justin Bieber, The Wanted, and PSY. He then ecourages them to reach out to their fanbase and get them to support. It’s connections like these that help children around the world. If you intend to make a change, you have to get the public to listen.Although you have the public’s attention, they may feel that what they can do is so little, that it’s almost no help at all. “We’ve learned that education is a living, breathing entity that with the right nurturing, evolves into something spectacular. We’ve learned that every piece of its growth is a challenge and that each pencil, each dollar, each volunteer is essential.” This organization is trying to make it clear that always do what you can. Every dollar, every bit of help they can get, is leading them closer and closer to a better life for these kids. The problem is that people are almost too lazy to help out. For example this generation of teenagers is known for procrastinating. Meaning we will put things off until it becomes a dire situation. But in this case, we can’t wait, we have to start giving now. This situation is already urgent as it is. By connecting with the public and putting idea’s out there, you are more likely to succeed with your goal, especially it it has good intentions.

Without the Pencils of Promise organization, there is a steady group of leaders ready to fight the battle against uneducated childrem by creating simpler access to schools, reinforcing the childrens right to an education, and getting the public to notice and take charge.So here’s what you can do to help, go to this page an find out what you can do for these children in need, wether it’s hosting a bake sale, putting up flyers, collecting donations, do something for the good of your fellow global citizens.

Kesz's Story

Kesz’ Journey to a Better Life

As stated by the childrens care website “More than 30 million in the world are not immunized against treatable or preventable diseases”. In the Philippines alone, there are 15 million street children and almost all of them don’t even know how to simply brush their teeth or wash their hands to keep away the germs. This was all realized by a young boy named Kesz. In the dumpsites of the Phillipines, this young boy lived  in garbage at the age of four. Because he was rescued from his hardships, Kesz is bravely and powerfully fighting to provide street children with hygenic education and hope.

Kesz has been very grateful for the helping hands that pulled him out of the fire. As a result, he believes that he should do the same for the street children of the Philippines. After Kesz decided to run away from his abusive father, he fell into a pit of burning tires as he was roaming the dumpsite. “Looking back, the fire that burned my skin and flesh is the same fire that started a flame in my soul. A flame that would warm cold hearts, a flame that would shed light to the path of the lost, a flame that would spark hope, lighting an entire sea of darkness and desperation.” Kesz’s Acceptance speach. The pain Kesz had to undergo made him work to end the pain for street children. Some of the things Kesz was able to accomplish was instructing the children to sanitize themselves to prevent escapable death. Without all of this hardship, he wouldn’t have been able to help others. You could say that the same fire that burned away his flesh and skin, also burned away the fear and doubt. Because of this, Kesz has come out on the other side of the suffering much stronger than he was before. In Kesz’s case, he was rescued by Mr. Harnin, “Mr. Harnin, the father I  look up to, taught me these principles and keeps on reminding me daily by his own life’s example.” When Kesz was in the burn unit it was a day of suffering, but when Mr.Harnin walked in it was suddenly his last days of pain. Mr. Harnin provided him with love and care, and he would love to reciprocate that love for the children in the streets. If he could follow Mr.Harnin’s examples and help the ones in need or “burning” then what’s stopping him from making life better for the street children?

Kesz has been very successful in improving the health of the street children because he taught the little things that make a big difference. Kesz feels strongly about improving the smaller issues.  “Everyday 6,000 children die from diseases associated with poor sanitation, poor hygiene, and WE CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!”  In this quote, Kesz is dropping a cold hard fact on the audience. It’s not fun to hear. But you can’t choose what you want to hear. It’s reality. The most horrific . Kesz has decided to provide hope and education to the street children.“My message to all children here and around the globe is; our health is our wealth! Being healthy will enable you to play, to think clearly, get up and go to school and love the people around you in so many.” This quote states that being healthy unlocks your ability to all these other oppurtunities. Kesz has taken the chance he was given to turn life around for these kids by showing them how to take care of themselves and give them some vital information that could help them further along in life, and could even help the children of the future. If you take care of yourself, you are more able to help the others around you.

With all these points in mind, it is clear that Kesz has done everything in his power to help the street children in the Philippines. Kesz has proved that you must still do something even if what you can do, is not as significant as you would think. You don’t need to donate buckets of cash to the red cross or donate all your belongings. Kesz has changed the lives of children by teaching them how to sanitize themselves in the simplest ways that make all the difference. This story not only is very heartbreaking, but it makes you think, if he can make such a difference, there is nothing to stop me from doing the same.

All the World's a Stage, and I'm Center Stage

I am from barbies, trees and swings. From pucks balls, and scrums. I am from The Wanted and Justin Bieber. I am from Dinosaurs, Weeping Angels, Ogres, donkeys, mammoths and sloths. I am from sizzling, from icy, from parched, from wet. I’m from sandy to grassy, from deserts to forests. From smooth and moist, to sharp and dry. I’m from small, quick, dense, loud but quiet, and very oddly mysterious. I’m from my amazing mom and dad, my aunts and uncles, my cousins, and my siblings. I’m from the most wonderful girl the in the world. I love you. I’m from the most cheerful, bright, smart homeroom teacher anyone could ask for. I’m from flawless boy bands, and perfect Canadian pop singers. I’m from twizzlers, nerds, sweet tarts, Scooby snacks, and gushers. I’m from pasta, but some make me gag. I’m from curries, pad thai, and pizza. I’m from faith, love, and broken hearts. I’m from friends, idols, and family. I’m from depression, power, cheer. I’m from a cat viciously attacking a brown bear during a family camp trip. I’m from whiteboards, competition, bright lights, English, and kids kids kids! I’m from “You could use improvement” and “You’ll go far” I’m from going to see my idols in a concert, and fishing with my brother I’m from all kinds of aspects from life, sometimes the fit, sometimes they don’t but I’m from making lemonade with the lemons life gives me.

Understandings

To maintain control, you must have power. Most people would disagree with that statement, but I'm not one of those people. I believe that to change or control a society, you need to have some form of power to influence and maintain a kingdom/ country. For example, in the Medieval times the King had so much power that he could force England to do anything he wanted them too. He knew that the peasants and serfs couldn't do anything to him because they had no power. So he kept raising taxes. But in modern day, it's not all bad. Most well functioning countries have a main source of power. Whether it's a president, a Prime-Minister,  or a King. But countries with a government that has a bad handle of their people, it affects their power. Take Syria for example, the people want to chose their ruler. But the government won't let them. Denying the rights to chose the leader has sparked violent protests, hense losing the power of the government.

The Events of 1066:Harold Godwinson

In the year of 1066, there were three powerful leaders fighting for the crown of England. All three men had a strong claim to the throne, but Harold Godwinson stood out amongst them all. Since Kind Edward didn't have any children to take over the thrown, he chose his successor Harold Godwinson. The reason being is that Godwinson is from England and he is the Earl of Wessex, making him experienced in leadership. Also, Harold's sister was married to Kind Edward. No one was surprised King Edward made a decision on Harold Godwinson, everyone agreed with him including the nobles. Godwinson was a strong leader who promised that the nobles could remain powerful. These are the reasons why Harold Godwinson had the strongest claim to the throne of England.

Schindler's List

Was Schindler a hero? A bystander? Or was he doing it for his own selfish reasons? Well, I simply believe it's all of them. Confusing I know but when you think about it, Schindler never stopped the cause or stood up to it, he never said that it was wrong or took a stand. But he also kept thousands of Jews from going off to those awful camps and getting killed, instead, he gave them a purpose in life, and some money. But was he doing that to make his life easier? Probably, but when those Jewish women were accidentally taken away to Auschwitz, he did pay a fortune to get them back. He certainly did think what was going on was wrong, you could tell when he was on the hill looking down at the blood being spilled in the drains. But he didn't try to prevent anything from happening, he just reduced it. I think Schindler was a hero, for doing what he can and saving thousands of lives but at the same time having them work for him.

Sonia Weitz- Victory

I chose the poem Victory by Sonia Weitz, a very touching poem about Sonia and her father having one last dance together before he was sent away to be killed. This was a very moving poem especially for me because I love my dad so much, and thinking of me and him together knowing I will never see him again, just breaks my heart. The part where it says "My lovely father (once big and strong)" was touching because it was saying that the concentration camps or death camps, make great strong people into small weak beings that don't have a purpose in life anymore. Also how Sonia was so hungry and so scared but when she was with him, none of that mattered and in fact almost went away. That's what really pulled at my heart, because when you love someone so much that they can make you feel safe even though your destined to die and that person is just taken away from you because of your religious beliefs, it must be the toughest thing anyone has ever had to endure. This made me extremely sad, it's even making me teary eyed. I think that it's so unfair just to separate this little girl and her father because of what they believe in.

What Caused the Holocaust?

Back a long long time ago when World War 1 ended, there was quite a massive downfall in the German society due to the Treaty of Versailles. The economy plummeted which lead to hyperinflation. Hyperinflation was a serious event in Germany. What happened was that economy wasn't doing well, so they printed money to see if that helped. Well it didn't. What happened is when you print money, you have to print it carefully because you need to make sure that you don't print too much and have it lose it's value. Well that's what happened. Germany was weak, looking for a leader. They wanted somebody to blame. Adolf Hitler saw it as an opportunity and tried to take over. The first time didn't work, but then the leader died, and he was appointed Chancellor. He made it very clear that the reason they lost the war was because of the Jews. He wanted an ideal German (blonde with blue eyes and non-jewish). And since the people wanted somebody to blame and Hitler was such a convincing speaker, they bought it. So, it was basically a series of lucky events for Hitler. And that is how he came about.

The Nuremberg Race Laws

Now, a Jew wouldn't be defined as someone who has relatives that are Jews. Nowadays, a Jewish person would be defined as a individual with different beliefs. Aryanizing mean that all businesses run by Jews were dismissed or called off, and/or taken over by non-Jewish businessmen. Professional Jews such as doctors weren't allowed to treat non-jewish patients. Also, jewish lawyers weren't allowed to practice law. "The for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People"was a law that all Germans had to obey. Basically you had to get a certificate from the official health authorities of Germany if you wanted to get married. But you weren't given a certificate if you had a hereditary disease or illness.

Hitler Takes Control: Targeting the Communists and other Political Parties

Civil rights are rules to keep freedom amongst other people with different ethnicities, religions, and gender. Some examples of civil rights are (in America) African-American people are allowed to sit anywhere on a bus, and also there's a law against slavery.

Hitler made people believe that what he was doing to jews was the right thing to do. How? Well, he convinced people that anyone different wasn't good for the country. Hitler persuaded people into believing that by killing off all of the jews, he was making it a better place for everyone else to live. So it was a small sacrifice in comparison to them. 

The Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles was a very reasonable way to make peace with the other countries and Germany.  The reason I think it's fair is because Germany admitted defeat, and they agreed to it in the first place. And secondly, they treaty with Germany was just supposed to keep them from doing any more harm to other countries, for example limiting the amount of ships they were allowed to have and the amount of soldiers. Germany could have said they didn't want to end the war and keep going, but instead they admitted defeat! They agreed and signed the treaty, they don't have the right to say it's unfair. So to sum this all up, Germany brought it on themselves and it's no one else's fault.

Religious Heros

What are the character traits and actions of a religious hero?
Most religious icons believe strongly in their religion. Therefore they are loyal. I also feel that it's hard to obey all or most of the teachings in a religion, if you are going to obey all of them, it becomes your life. And when it becomes hard to live a life by your religion, you need strong. And that is another trait that most heros have. Religious icons are also very brave. They need to make sacrifices for what they believe in. That takes courage. The reason why their aren't many religious heros is because of all those reasons. Not many people, in fact, almost no people have the determination to become a hero like that.

This I Believe

I chose the story called The Ultimate Sacrifice. It's about this man in the war, who loses a friend by him driving a car delivering food and hitting a land mine. He was talking about how he was always physically prepared for war. But never was he prepared mentally. He had to deal with the mental agony it caused, he was responsible for his well being. What would he tell the parents? The troops? I strongly believe that "The Ultimate Sacrifice" is literally putting your life on the line for what you believe. And the people that do this, should be in everybody's minds. Truly amazing.

Hi everyone, this is Lily and I am going to tell you about my learning profile. I learn best when I sit a couple rows back to the left of the front of the classroom. I need to do more cross lateral activities like knitting and other things to strengthen my left brain. Strategies that would help me learn would be hands on projects. For example, making models, drawings etc. I would like my teacher to know that I try hard to be organized, but sometimes it's a struggle. I am also very busy, and I get tired easily and don't always do my work to the best of my abilities. Thanks!

Hercules Summary

Zeus wanted to create humans, so he asked Prometheus to make them for him. He made them out of earth and clay, but he made one mistake. Prometheus wanted to make them superior, so he stole some fire from Mount Olympus. Zeus was outraged, and he sentenced him to be pinned to a mountain and have a bird eat his liver everyday.

My Bio Poem

Lily

Who is sporty, outgoing, loud, humorous, playful.

Who is the sister of Maggie Casey, and Liam Casey.

Who loves Justin Bieber, performing, playing sports, and art.

Who feels sad when birds run into windows.

Who needs Facebook, my dog, my parents and my Ipad.

Who gives hand-me-downs to charities and/or other kids.

Who fears being embarrassed, Failing, and Kidknappers.

Who would like to see the Grand Canyon, the Terra Cotta Army, and the Worlds Biggest Rubber Band Ball.

Who shares the same interest as vets, and Justin Bieber.

Who is a Hockey loving Canadian.

Who is a resident of Malaysia.

Casey

Power of Zeus

Here is an amazingly epic movie trailer based on a greek myth. This is the story of how Zeus came to be. Hope you enjoy it.

All things great come to an end. . . .

Wow! What an amazing 6th grade. Even though it was my second time, I feel like ISKL prepared me for 7th grade more than my other school! There have been so many things that I am proud of, my most proud of is my layers of the earth project in science. This project was during our "Earths Interior" unit. We got paired up with another person (Sheta) and we had to create a project that somehow represented the layers of the earth. It had to be a scale model that includes facts and the scale. Me and Sheta made a 3D earth made from cardboard and paper. We took two circles, made them to scale, and put a slit in each one, then we slid one into the other and hung it from the wall. Mrs.Rosendale loved it and said that next year she might have everyone do that instead of coming up with their own.

Even though I had a lot of highlights, I also had a lot of assignments and projects that pushed me to my limit. The biggest one was probably the Ancient Egyptian Diary. This probably wouldn't have been a problem if I wasn't in Perth. But when I came back, the catch up was hard work and there was consequences to be made but in the end we got it done and I am happy with myself for that.

Looking back from the beginning of the year 'till now, I think I have definitely grown as a student. Even though this is my second round of it. I enjoyed growing into new habits, and getting into more of a routine. I haven't, though, enjoyed the process. I have had a couple dips in my grade. But I think that more than anything, thats just another opportunity to learn. People aren't judged on their succes, but how they handle their failures.

Now it's onto looking back on myself and evaluate my work habits, I think that behavior in class is satisfactory. Sometimes, I probably frustrate teachers with my loud and over used mouth. But, I also think that I have a positive energy and that I am open to criticism. I think that participation is where I am most strong, I would say that I almost ALWAYS participate in class. I don't enjoy being the person in the corner that doesn't want to be involved. No sir. Now, onto organization. I think that I am satisfactory. I am very organized with science, math, and art. I almost always have my materials for those classes, but humanities (I'm not going to lie) is so so. Sometimes I forget about that peer editing checklist or I didn't bring a book for SSR. But those are problems that will go away over time and with effort. I think I need some help with effort. I get so distracted by what's going on personally that I lose sight of my grades and school. I am going to be blunt, I'm sort of lazy. I don't always do my work in Humanities, I slack off sometimes, but I have learned from my mistakes. Next year, I get to start off with a clean slate.

I have many great feelings about moving to the "upstairs" lockers. But I would like to make two goals for next year:

Goal #1: Work hard, keep my nose to the grindstone. I don't want a repeat of this year. And I want the ability to go on trips and not be traumatized by all the catch-up work.

Goal #2: Read more, I have learned so many things this year just from sitting all alone in my room for and hour and reading. (Even if it is just Justin Bieber's book was born). I need to clear more time to just read.

I am so excited to meet and get to know my new teachers. I think that they mostly know me, but here are some things you should know:

1. I talk a lot sometimes.

2. If you give me the chance, I will be with my friends whenever I can.

3. I think that I have good leader ship abilities.

4. I enjoy hands-on activities.

We did a lot of really enjoyable activities this year. My favorite must have been creating the mobile. I loved printing the pics and creating the design, things like that really help me learn! But the activity we should have spent more time on was the imaginative narrative. I felt rushed and it didn't feel like the best work I could have done.

This has been a year to remember. But future 6th graders, here are some things you should know:

1. When your teacher tells you to follow the lit circle schedule, FOLLOW IT. I made the mistake of not following it and I payed the price.

2. Take peer editing seriously.

3.Have fun! Don't be too serious because then you miss out on all of the fun times. The 6th graders are known for their energy and happiness! Don't end that reputation now!

Overall 6th grade was amazing. Even though I will miss all of my teachers, I can't wait for the journey ahead!

FREEDOM. . . FrEeDoM.. . Freedom.. . . freedum.

Mother and father,

I miss you. As much as I love it here with freedom to spare. I still miss you. It was a long journey to get here. A very long, painful journey. But the day I got here, I realized, it was all worth it. I really wish you had come with me, Henry, and Beanpole.

When I was still in Wherton, I was happy, but as soon as the tripods came, I knew there was going to be trouble. I almost instantly knew, that there was something unnatural about this, and I didn't like it one tiny bit. As soon as I heard about them capping us, that was when things got to hard to handle, I still can't think of my life being controlled in that way, I would hate every minute of it! I wanted to live my life passionately and freely, not controlled and loveless.

Life, is all about taking chances and risks, just by looking at the tripod, being capped would hardly be a life at all. Societies should be able to function on their own, they should have a leader such as a mayor, or a president, or a prime-minister. A leader guides us in the right direction, they give us the freedom to vote and do such things. But the tripods would take down right control of you and leave you no mercy. Everything you think is recorded, your brain sends instant messages, your probably sending them now. I better go before the tripods find out too much.

I miss you and I hope those machines are leaving you be. Like they should be.

Will

Will and I

Will is a lot like many other kids these days. Except for the whole tripod trying to destroy the world dilema. Will, is growing up, learning and experiencing new things. It can be hard. I know that I ALWAYS question things because I am not convinced I can trust the person. Just like Will was questioning Henry about the tripods. He doesn't particularly like Henry, because he doesn't trust him. Like me, I find it hard to believe people that I don't like.

Being all mixed up in things can also be confusing, on top of all that, he is changing. His mind is becoming more open to suggestions. I believe that because he doesn't think he can do it on his own.

Will is like a lot of kids in this world.