Act of Valor

Last night I went to see the film, "Act of Valor."  First I have to say it is Rated R so make sure you get parental permission to see it. :-)  It was very good, and the cool thing was the fact that the actors were really Navy Seals!  These men really do what they potray on the screen.  When the movie is over you just sit there amazed at what these men do everyday.  Quickly I was so thankful for our Armed Forces who risk their life to make sure we have freedom, protection, and liberty.  How do you say Thank You for that?  I don't know but every time I meet a member of our armed forces I say Thank You!

They ended the movie with this poem from Tecumseh.  Tecumseh was a native american warrior.  What he says about dying is moving, and it was a great way to end the film.  Also the movie has been out for a while, and it was a sold out crowd last night.  As the poem was being read in the film you could hear many sobs and sniffles.  So of course that made me cry more!

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.
Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none.
When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision.
When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.”

~ Chief Tecumseh (Poem from Act of Valor the Movie)



Good Will Hunting

I was just thinking about this movie.  It is a great movie, and there are two scenes in particular that I was thinking about.  Those two scenes are at the bottom of this post.  The first is Matt Damon's character calling a guy out in a bar.  I love this scene because the guy is trying to show that he is smart, and he discusses history.  But Matt Damon proves you don't need an ivy league education to have knowledge.  Matt Damon's character is a janitor, and the guy goes to Harvard.

The second scene is with Robin Williams and Matt Damon.  In the movie Matt Damon is angry, and has to go to counseling.  Robin Williams is a counselor, and this is the moment he gets through to Matt Damon.

BTW Academic State Champions 2012!!!

The Bracket of the championship.  It came down to Jenks and BTW - we WON!!!

The trophy we won!

I just had to mention this!  Not only is BTW amazing at sports, but we are the smartest students!  We dominate!  Our Academic Team is going on to Nationals to represent Oklahoma!  We are rooting them on!  The best part is this year we are 6A!!!

BTW's New Field House

I'm so excited that the new field house is ready for use!  Tomorrow night is the grand opening against Central.  I can't wait, and I heard the game is sold out!!!  It is going to be a great game, and all I can say is it was worth the wait!  I didn't care for the pep rallies in the stadium, but it was worth it!  They have done such a great job!  Here are some pics of the new field house:

The Center Court Hornet

The seats - love the details!

The Score Board - I hear they will put the picture of the players on the board!  How cool is that!

View of the court and seats!  It is so nice!

Coach Keendey's 300th Win!!!

This school is so lucky to have Coach Kennedy.  She is an outstanding teacher, an inspirational coach, and fierce friend.  One reason I love teaching at BTW is the faculty and staff.  We are all friends, and I have to mention what Coach Kennedy did Friday night.  She got her 300th career win!  The whole school is so proud of her!  The teachers and her friends and family surprised her with a lot of us attending the game, and we wore t-shirts that say, "Kennedy Fan Club:300 and Counting."

The best part of the night was when BTW won the game - we all stood up, cheered, and helped up signs congratulating her.  It was a GREAT night!  Here is an article from the Tulsa World about her 300 wins:

Article explaing Coach Kennedy's 300th win!

Offical Oklahoma State Meal

Yesterday and today we did something in class I have always wanted to do!  In Oklahoma History we ate together the official Oklahoma state meal.  It was so much fun, and so good.  Everything on the list was brought, and in most classes we had lots of left overs!  Here is what is included in the meal:

• Barbecue Pork
• Chicken Fried Steak
• Strawberries
• Squash
• Black Eyed Peas
• Corn
• Cornbread
• Grits
• Fried Okra
• Pecan Pie

This list is added to every once in a while because of lobbyist who push for specific food to make the cut.  Here are some pics of our meal:

Strawberries

Black Eyed Peas

A plate of the food!

Freedom Writers

There is a whole bunch of great movies about teaching.  One of those movies is Freedom Writers.  It is based off a real teacher and her class.  What this teacher does is incredible!  It is inspiring for me as a teacher to watch.  One thing she did was bond with her students.  I think that is so important!  I try to bond with my students everyday, and as a teacher I don't think we are always aware of the power we have.  Our words are powerful, and make a difference.  I choose my words carefully!  If you haven't seen this movie - see it NOW!

The inspirational song from the movie!

One of the great things that this teacher did her first year was teach her students about the holocaust.  After learning about the holocaust they read "The Diary of Ann Frank."  The students were so touched they brought the lady who hid Ann Frank to come speak to them.  And they really did it!  Here is a little bit of the scene from the movie.