"There is a difference between being poor and being a bum."

In both the freshman and sophomore classes we discussed some changes that will be starting next week. At the beginning of each class we will spend 5 minutes practicing relaxation breathing techniques. Also, students will be required to take notes in 3 classes a day and will be graded on that beginning on December 7.

We had Conclave today, which gave the students a chance to share their highs and lows.

With the sophomores, we also discussed whether or not an apology implies that you will change your behavior. They agreed that if some one says "sorry" then does the very same thing to you again, then their word is meaningless. This led to a discussion about integrity which lead to Montel telling us about a family in the book "To Kill a Mockingbird" which would not take anything for free. They would trade for something they needed but not take anything for free. I said there was integrity in this example, but it was actually a better example of dignity. That's when Vince said, "there is a difference between being poor and being a bum."

During Conclave, I'm sorry to say I lost my patience with the sophomores. They were being too talkative and actually mean to each other. I tried to get them to stop but they wouldn't, so I just dismissed the class. We will definitely return to this topic when they return on Monday. Hopefully they will do better in their seating chart and after 15 minutes of relaxation breathing.