When is cheating necessary? NEVER!

...but that is just my opinion.

71% of 115 highschool students polled by YOUTHINK (a local free rag) was asked "Have you ever cheated in school?" said yes. When questioned further they simply stated that sometimes it is necessary.

When? I may be old school but when I was young I never cheated. I struggled in school; as do we all to some degree; and they grades I got was a truthful reflection on how much effort I put in or that I may need help. If I did horrible in one area I knew to either get my act together OR ask for assistance.

I felt and was tought that cheating is not fooling your teacher, your parents or peers; it's fooling yourself. Are our children not being tought this same ethic? Or are they ignoring it?

Most importantly, we have to ask ourselves how well are these children who cheat going to do in the workplace where they will be using all that their teachers tried to show them?

I figure not very well. Then what? I fear that 71% of the next generation are going to crash and burn by their mid 20's. When they spent a few years out there in the real world. The real world conists of no blame but personal accountablity. No one is ever going to say to these kids "Yes I know the work is hard. I understand why you have been cutting corners with a cost to our company. Yes I know so and so did not or did this or that. Sit back and relax or go shopping! It's okay, we understand." Instead what these kids are going to hear is "Your fired!"

This little poll is frightening.

I got a 12 year old that I raise with the same plus more morals that I was raised with. I am sure that he will be the minority of 21% who never cheated.

Has anyone cheated? Why? What came out of it?

How many of you had the chance to cheat and did not? Why?

How many of you are worried about these kids who cheat? I know I am.

Who out there has an opinion as to why it seems that so many of our youths are cheating now a days?

Life was hard back then, way back then and way way back then AND life will continue to be hard well into the future. I may be a little harsh to say this but life is not meant to be easy, it's meant to be hard. We learn the most in the hard. So stress, pressure is no excuse for me, never mind a valid reason.

I don't understand why so many are and I am having a hard time figure it out.

The 2006 Georgia Straight Best of Vancouver Awards, published Dec 11; awarded Hasting Sunrise as one of the Best of Neighborhoods. The others on the list are UBC, Cambie and Burquitlam (where the edges of Burnaby and Coquitlam meet).

I got to say that my neighbourhood is the best! Hastings Sunrise is one of Vancouver oldest 'hoods. We feature PNE/playland, 16 large parks including New Brighton Pool on the inlet; almost 60 diners, coffee shops (Laughing Bean being the most notorious due to the morning news crew getting their early mornin' java there), eateries, ice cream shops, restaurants and mini grocery stores that line Hastings and beautiful murals filling large walls that would otherwise be barren of colour.....with one more to come.

Today I touched base with our schools community office lady to start a project of having a mural painted on the west bottom wall of our preschool. The wall is large, painted dark brown with 2 large fir trees in front. A dark space where weeds not even try to grow.

I used to go to this school for grades 3 to 6. Back then I was scared to go near this area when playing. I would often become "IT" from trying to stay away from this dark space.

Now it is my time to make this area bright, fun and friendly. Anything from a sunrise and polar bears (school mascot) on ice burgs, rainbows to kids playing; I am inspired. Mind you, I am not the one who is actually going to paint it. We are going to hire a local artist for the job. I am hoping for the guy/gal or painted the mural of the little girl picking a flower on First and Naniamo. Go see if you are in the area. It is a beautiful "3d" peice.

This project may take a few or more months to complete and I am so exceited to be heading it!

IsItSUMMERYET?

Again with the photo hunt! So far a great excuse to post AND show off my children. This weeks theme is memories. I remember summer! I also dream of summer. I wish it was summer. I vaguely remember bright colours in the world and my children playing outside for hours on end.

I woke up to a sprinkle of snow on the ground. We have had so much snow and rain that I am sick of all precipitation. Even the white, fluffy kind that seems to make the world seem so peaceful. I want sun in the worst way. I want to take my children out of the house for the entire day! I can't do that right now. My little Elan has a terrible cough that I am sure the chill of the air will make worse. Snow is great for a few days a year, we have already had that. We had our snow fun! Snowball fights, snow angels and snowmen. It's been done for this year. We don't need any more. Time for sun! I wish we vote for our weather. I think it will be the only time when people will be all too enthusiastic to wait in a long line-up, in a stinky small elementary school gym to mark an X in a tiny box. I would gladly.

Is anyone else sick of snow?

New Year! New Resolutionmmhmm

To Post 3 Times A Week

It seems as though the only time I have posted these last few weeks is for the photo hunt. I will have to get myself more motivated with this blog. I have enough interesting things to talk about, everyone I know can vouch for that. I just need to get my arse in gear and do it. Did anyone else have a slow start to your blogs?

A belated photo hunt post is of some of the gifts my children got.




Well here is the long awaited electric guitar!Jacy is already looking like a rock star in his air plane pj's!











My Aden only really wanted was green army. So we got him plenty! Along with those we got him model planes,tanks and Lego that he could build into bases. As his big gift we got him an electric keyboard. One that is good for his age but not too childish.









In keeping with the music theme we got little Elan a xylophone. Here she is banging every part of it except the keys.