Food for the Soul

Hey there

I have been reading the Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayerss, by Swami Paramananda, every day for the past 10 years.

If you can get your hands on  a hard-copy, you'll never regret it.

In my opinion, it is the best gift you can give to anyone you care about.

Here is an online version which I saved to Kree's Blog

Or you can click on the link below :

Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers

There are 407 pages in this book so it might take a few seconds to download depending on your broadband speed.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

 

Here is today's reading as it appears in the book:

August Sixteenth

Salient thought for the day

God has given us life that we may express joyousness of heart.

Lines to memorize

My soul is happy with an inexpressible joy

Since I saw His smiling face turned toward me.

I can never forget that radiant smile;

Where'er I go it haunts me by day and it

haunts me by night.

When in grim despair of life, it brightens

my path with hope and love.

Lesson

No man can attain his goal without practising the higher principles of life.

No man can be truly happy who is selfish.

What possible use is outer light if there is darkness within?

Happiness is a quality of the soul.

It enters the soul which has tasted God-consciousness.

God is ever cheerful.

Life is given us to work out our freedom and lasting happiness.

Prayer

O Thou Giver of all joy, may I not be unworthy of Thy gifts,

But may I radiate happiness and cheer in every hour of my daily life.

Help me to realize that when I am sad, it is because I am separated from Thee.

All my sadness and sorrow will vanish when I seek thee with open heart.

Swami Paramananda Page 255 Book of Daily Thoughts and Prayers

(Re-typed by Kree...please pardon any errors)

Maori Language Week 26 July to 1 August

How are you celebrating Maori Language Week?

I am going to Whakarewarewa Thermal Village today with my friend Mano who arrives

from the UK around 12 noon. It is going to be awesome.

The theme for Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori - Māori Language Week 2010 is te mahi kai, or the l

language of food.

The theme this year is 'te mahi kai', or to gather food. As part of the theme, members of the public can donate food to council, which will then be given to the Tauranga Community Trust Foodbank. Keren says people can then enter a competition by translating the collected food items to Maori. All food can be dropped at Tauranga Library. "The idea is that people do some research to find out what the Maori word is," says Keren. A similar competition for council workers is being held and involves staff dropping items at the council's cafeteria. Keren says more people are accepting the Maori language. "Even if people come away learning one Maori word, that's a good thing."

Maori Language. Net

Youtube Videos

Check out my Youtube Channel, click on Playlists - heaps of Maori Waita, songs and dance

to share.

"Ko te Aroha tonu te tino mea - there is nothing greater than LOVE!"

IHC Volunteers Make a Difference

Mission Heights Schools SunRay Computers

The Most Efficient System for Day to Day Relief Teaching

Being an EDForce Relief Teacher means you …

1. Can access more work other than just using the telephone.
2. Can accept work quickly and easily on your mobile phone, or the website..
3. Can accept work at any time.
4. Can access work in any region throughout New Zealand.
5. Will receive instant text message and email notifications when you have been 'successful' or 'unsuccessful' accepting vacancies.
6. Will get priority over vacancies when learning institutes put you on their 'Preferred List'.
7. Don't have to wait for phone calls for work.
8. Don't have to answer several phone calls for work.
9. Don't have to feel pressured into accepting work over the phone.
10. Can plan your days, weeks and months ahead.
11. Can choose where your want to teach.
12. Can choose when you want to teach.
13. Can choose the age levels of students you want to teach.
14. Can view all your upcoming and completed vacancies on the website.
15. Can receive instant email notifications for part time, fixed term and permanent positions. READ MORE>>>

 

Volunteer 4 IHC

Operation Orange Day is May 21

Teaching Matters

Operation Orange Day is May 21. It's a day for NZEI members to focus on the call for a trail of National Standards. In the lead up to May 21 our aim is to have all members collect 10 signatures on the Trial the Standards Not Our Kids petition. On the 21st members will be holding Orange themed events, wearing orange, eating orange morning tea, flying orange balloons and more.
Join the discussion on ideas for Operation Orange Day activities, download an Operation Orange mission pack and sign up for campaign actvity and, most importantly, collect 10 signatures on the petition.

 

 

My opinion of National Standards

• Posted by jan Lee on April 21, 2010 at 3:58pm
• View jan Lee's blog

Untested National Standards
The Government says National Standards assessment will raise children’s achievement. There is no supporting evidence that they will raise children’s achievement. Teachers already use assessment practises to monitor children’s progress and identify those children who are struggling. Teachers then provide programmes to cater for the needs of these children. Why is this Government spending tens of millions of dollars to roll out National Standards, which are untested and have failed in other countries, to replace robust assessment practises that already exist in our Schools and at a National level through the National Education Monitoring Project.
National Standards encourage schools to match children to various levels for reading, writing and maths based on their age. As teachers and parents we know children develop at their own pace and will peak and ebb in their progress, because of cognitive development. Children also come to school with strengths and talents in areas of the curriculum that are not literacy and numeracy based. Some children enter school without early childhood education and need to learn skills to socialise and respond to programmes at their level, other children take longer to read and write, surely labelling these children as failures will damage their motivation to learn. We want enthusiastic children who progress their learning and have a sense of self worth to better live in our communities.
The reporting process developed for National Standards will lead to data that can be used in simplistic forms of league tables. These tables will compare schools, creating a perception of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ schools and failing children. Data that is collected for league tables does not reflect the effective teaching and social mentoring that has raised student achievement from where the child was to where the child is now. Lots of children start behind the norm and will make progress but not at the rate of others.
At the cost of tens of millions of dollars the Government continues to push the rollout of the Standards in the face of public and education sector support for the Standards to be trialled. The effectiveness of these standards needs to be tested.
The tens of millions of dollars would be better spent on providing programmes and support to address the needs of the children already identified in our schools as our failing tail. This tail reflects children who are educationally disadvantaged, affected by poverty and in some cases from dysfunctional families.
As a parent and teacher I need to know that what we do for our children is of benefit and is educationally sound. Trial the Standards, so that I can make an informed judgment, that is best for teaching and learning in our Primary Schools.