A Blow To His Confidence 25

K has updated us on her lunchtime French crowd, which is meeting through the summer:
Hello Mr. Slavic:
I wanted to update you on the first summer lunch group meeting. It went very well. I’m pretty sure that my parents are crazy since they allowed 25 teenagers to be in their house for a very long time (they kept saying that we could stay longer and would be “absolutely thrilled ” to  have them all back whenever).
An e-mail I got from a friend pretty much sums it up:
Bonjour K!
Je suis desolé que cet e-mail est en le francais et l’anglais. Je ne sais pas tout le mots francais à écrire il en le francais. Vendredi ete tres rigilo et comique. J’aime les histoires de “spin off” [K adds – note: these “spin off ” stories are  kind of weird. Basically we take a story that has already been generated (from a previous day, another student, or from a book) and we read, translate, and just talk about it (standard procedure that we used in your class) Then they write down their own version of the story  as a free-write. If they don’t know a word, they can describe it using words they do know  or say ” Comment dit-on …? This is hard because sometimes I don’t know the word they are looking for. After ten minutes those who would like to volunteer suggestions hold up their notebooks. Because it is their story, they get to pick how we do the next part. Either everyone at one point or another gets to be in charge of the story , which means I just pick someone and we use all of their suggestions or I pick up several, select what I think are the best, say each selected statement, and the class votes – oui (put it in the story, as a structure and maybe choose another notebook. Sometimes after one or two statements they have ideas and don’t want something pre- written so they say “arrête” ou “non” (read the next statement). When everyone is satisfied they say “bonne histoire ” and then we choose actors, act it out while someone writes a quiz. Every 6 minutes I do a comprehension check. As they act I write down the story so that it can become a reading. At the end, someone does a retell and the grammar person – new job created for IB because of the tests (they wanted to know why this word is spelled  like it is and things like that) asks their two questions. Their job if they want is to come up with two questions about anything that didn’t make sense that isn’t related to comprehension. Sorry for the long explanation]. 
My friend then continues:
It was really weird how Mrs. S. and our new teacher came and you didn’t know about it, but the good news is that our new teacher came and seemed pleased. Your parents are very nice and optimistic, and I can tell that you are close with them. There are three things about your house I keep thinking about: the two signs by the front door that say “You are welcome in this house if you are the same or different gender, race, religion, political view, sect as me. If you are a jerk, you are not.” And the second one that says “We have made it our goal to be happy about our lives and everything we do. Although this is never always possible we try.” And then when your dad came home early, and I was surprised since my parents never do that and he said ” Why else are we born then to be with the people we love and do the things we love doing?” I responded, “We can’t always do that. “His response has got me thinking. He said, “No, we can’t. But when we can’t, instead of looking at it as something you don’t what to do, look at it as an opportunity. In an opportunity there is hidden optimism. With optimism, you see the good things, however few, instead of the bad. With this new focus you like some aspects and then it becomes something you like. When doing something you like you have fun – have enough fun and you love it. When you love what you’re doing, success is automatic.”  That’s a really good way of looking at things that I’ll keep in mind. The second thing I’ve been thinking about is a motto, since your family has adopted the one described above. I keep remembering your shirt you wore on Friday. It had a picture of three smiling kids in wheelchairs with the caption Wheelchair Sports Camp, 2005″ and on the back it said “I am unbound” like unbound by circumstances, free to do whatever. Pretty cool. Unbound: My new motto for 2010-2011.

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4 thoughts on “A Blow To His Confidence 25”

  1. So now all of us understand part of the miracle that is Kaley. She had to have those parents to be what she is. But then she had to have a teacher like Ben and an amazing passion for sharing her love, plus confidence and spunk and talent. There’s something absolutely magic going on there, and I feel very privileged to be reading about it.

  2. Ditto Michele. Upon reading the heading of this blog, I sat up straight, and got so excited to find out what new and incredible things Kaley was up to now.

  3. Kaley, you have some wonderful parents and teachers! I have a song that you might like to hear and learn with your summer lunch group….. by Lorie, a French Canadian singer. It’s called “Positive Attitude”.
    /www.youtube.com/watch?v=Febo90rhGok
    Here are the lyrics:
    Paroles La Positive Attitude
    Que ce soit elle ou bien toi
    Les uns et les autres, ou même moi
    Nous avons tous pleuré
    Au moins une fois
    Pour un coup dur de la vie
    Une jalousie, un faux pas
    Il arrive parfois que ton moral se casse
    Pour ça, moi j’ai trouvé un remède efficace
    {Refrain:}
    La positive attitude
    La positive attitude
    La tête haute
    Les yeux rivés sur le temps
    Et j’apprends, à regarder droit devant
    La positive attitude…
    Souviens-toi de ces instants précieux
    Qui ont rendu ton coeur si joyeux
    De ces histoires d’amour tellement essentielles
    Elles t’ont rendu la vie bien plus belle, bien plus belle
    Devant la douleur, tu dois savoir faire face
    Moi j’ai trouvé un remède très efficace…
    {au Refrain}
    La positive attitude
    La rage au ventre
    Je suis prête à tout surmonter
    Maintenant, je n’veux plus jamais renoncer à
    La positive attitude…
    La positive attitude…

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