PRIORITIES . . . One Word for a yearly focus.

This week for Arts we continued focusing on our one-word project for the year. 

After a week of thinking, the students came back and began brainstorming and designing words to become their yearly motto. Finding a word to guide all aspects of your life for a year can prove a bit tough, as some of the students discovered, but after discussion everyone found a word that fit their goals. Words mentioned included:

Diligence

Dedication

Simplicity

Laughter

Service

Priorities

Talk of how to design the words on the 3D printer also took place. Some students plan to make a design that printed each letter separately as connecting pieces while others plan to create one single piece for the entire word. Now that we have designs on paper, the next step is designing the words on the cad program!

Prepared by Mollie O'Donnell

My One Word

Arts: One Word

With the beginning of the New Year comes a list of resolutions. A list of goals, some specific, some vague, to be completed in 12 months time. However, often these goals can be lofty and are quickly forgotten or broken early on in the year. This idea of resolutions, without the shattered lists, can be fixed with the idea of one word. The book One Word by Gordan, Britton, and Page, has changed the way many people view resolutions and has even come to change lives. The idea is that individuals choose one word to essentially guide their life for a year. One word that will relate to all aspects of their life. 

This one word will become the driving factor behind decisions that they make. Examples of success have come from words including believe, commitment, faith, courage, strength, and many more. For arts this week we shared this concept with the students and asked that they choose a word to guide them for the year. This then relates to arts as we will create a 3D version of the words using the new 3D printing technology that is being incorporated into TEAM. It will be exciting to see the “One Words” that come out of this!

Prepared by Mollie O'Donnell

What Can You Learn From a Quarter, A Nickel and a Dime?

STEM

This week’s STEM activity was a milder one, but it had some far reaching ideas. We discussed 

momentum, how it is a physical and a mental phenomenon. To demonstrate this we took a quarter and placed it on the table. Then, we slid a nickel and a dime at it in turn and observed its reaction. We found that if we slid the nickel at the same speed as the dime, the nickel would make the quarter move further every time. But, we also found that if we slid the dime faster, it could match the displacement caused by the nickel. What we were observing was momentum in action. Since momentum equals mass times a velocity (p = m X v), something with smaller mass (the dime) can have the same momentum as something much heavier (the nickel) with an increase in its velocity. We also talked a little bit about inertia and how it is harder to start or stop an object than it is to keep it in motion. This led us into our next discussion.

While this experiment wasn’t quite as explosive as some of others, we decided to relate it to ourselves. We decided that it is always very difficult to start doing our homework, but once we start it, the hardest part is over. Same thing with bad habits. If we’re stuck in a rut and can’t quite seem to get out, don’t despair. The initial change is always the hardest part, but once you’ve made that change, it is sooo much easier to keep from doing it again. Keeping your momentum going is always easier than having to restart all the time. Hopefully this simple act of seeing quarters and nickels colliding will help them remember that lesson. I know it’s helped me.

Prepared by Ben Lovett

Creating Signage for the Upcoming Composting Project!

 

SERVICE

For TEAM’s service project this week we have focused on helping promote a composting program that will be implemented at the Wilson Elementary School. 

Our TEAM members have really enjoyed creating posters to go around the school, relating to recycling and composting food. We believe that this will be a wonderful opportunity for the Wilson School students to get involved in a great cause and making a difference. We are also grateful for the opportunity to help make this possible.



Prepared by Anna Donaldson