What is Your Philosophy for Success?

We just finished a Memorial Day module, where our goal was to learn about a service-member so we could learn about the person not just the Soldier, Sailor, Airman, or Marine. They gave their lives so that you could have a choice on how you will live yours. Besides bearing witness, how do you honor the sacrifice they made for you...? 

Admiral McCraven shared his 10 lessons from SEAL training to be successful and have an impact on the world. This is a good foundation for this classroom assignment.

Classroom activity:

A. Individual Activity: Take out a piece of paper and reflect upon and answer two questions.

Question 1. What is your Philosophy for Success?

Question 2. What Do you expect from your Generation?

B. Group Activity: Teacher organizes you into three small discussion groups and designates a group leader for each. The group leader will facilitate each student sharing their responses per question with the group. Once they are done sharing their individual perspectives, they will develop a group collective response to those questions and the group leader will write those collective responses on the back of their sheet. 

C. Class Activity: We will reform as a class and develop a classroom collective response and write it on the whiteboard. Teacher will take a picture of the graphic using a smart phone to capture class end product. 

ADMIRAL McCRAVEN's COMMENCEMENT SPEECH...What Could a SEAL Teach You?

"While these lessons were learned during my time in the military, I can assure you that it matters not whether you ever served a day in uniform," McRaven told students. "It matters not your gender, your ethnic or religious background, your orientation, or your social status."

1. If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed.
2. If you want to change the world, find someone to help you paddle.
3. If you want to change the world, measure a person by the size of their heart, not the size of their flippers.
4. If you want to change the world get over being a sugar cookie and keep moving forward.
5. But if you want to change the world, don't be afraid of the circuses.
6. If you want to change the world sometimes you have to slide down the obstacle head first.
7. So, If you want to change the world, don't back down from the sharks.
8. If you want to change the world, you must be your very best in the darkest moment.
9. So, if you want to change the world, start singing when you're up to your neck in mud.
10. If you want to change the world don't ever, ever ring the bell.

• Start each day with a task completed.
• Find someone to help you through life.
• Respect everyone.
• Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up—if you do these things, then next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today and—what started here will indeed have changed the world—for the better.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/bill-mcraven-commencement-speech-at-ut-2014-5#ixzz32svUoeO7

May 22 to 23 (Thursday & Friday) Memorial Day Presentations

Cadets, 

Today is your last day to prepare your Witness presentations and the posterboards. You need to rehearse in class and present to each other. Make sure you know what class periods in Friday you will be presenting your fallen American. 

On Friday do your best to present with the utmost respect possible, because YOU are bearing witness to those who fought in the Second Battle of Fallujah. 

Make the families of the fallen proud of your presentations on Friday. Good Luck.

May 21 (Wed): Second Battle of Fallujah

3/5 in Falujah

You are two days away from the JROTC Cadet presentations in the Auditorium for Friday the 23 of May from Period 2 to Period 7. Everyone knows what is expected but let's review:

Period 2,4,6, and 7 Posterboard assignments. Poster boards need to be completed by Thursday. These products should be stand alone projects for visitors to read and learn. Chief Pascoe and Mr. Osinoyle will determine where the 4 poster boards will be placed in the Auditorium. Senior's posterboards need to be finished in class on Thursday

Individual Witness Assignments: You need to have two 8 X 12 papers (one is a head shot photo [preferably color] or an individual picture and the other are facts about this Marine or Soldier who died in Op Phantom Fury.) Your job is to make that person KIA to come alive through your presentation. If for some reason you are challenged to find information about the Marine assigned, then look up casualty names for Operation Phantom Fury in Fallujah and finish the assignment. 

Thursday needs to be a rehearsal of your presentations in class. 

Friday during period 1 cadets need to ensure the poster boards and two 8X12 papers need to be brought to JROTC classroom period one. On Friday Period 1 is Set Up and Period 8 is Clean Up. 

• Class Leaders make recommendations to Chief and Mr. Osinoyle about what cadets should cover what periods in the auditorium on Friday.
• Cadet Co and XO: 
• Set up a cadet accountability system for Friday and review with Chief Pascoe. 
• Any cadets showing a trend for lacking maturity or who did not satisfactorily complete the assignment will not participate (Chief and Mr. O have final say). 
• Ensure Chief Pascoe sends Building Exempt email to Attendance. Have him put this on School Teacher Bulletin. 

Remember, these Americans who died during this battle rate your professional time, attention, and respect.

May 20 (Tues): Second Battle of Fallujah

Iraqi Insurgency against US & Coalition Forces in Fallujah

The Second Battle of Fallujah took place from 7 November 2004 to 23 December 2004.

The names for your individual assignments are posted on a Google Doc titles Upperclassmen Witness Individual Assignments shared with the substitute teacher and the class leaders on their email accounts, including student accounts. 

Click on this Link for the Google Doc

Ensure you go to the class period Tab on the bottom of the Google Doc Spread sheet.!!!!

May 19 (Mon): Second Battle of Fallujah

Today, you will watch a video in class about Operation Phantom Fury. Each class period (see below) will be responsible for building one Three fold poster board by Thursday (to rehearse) about an aspect of the battle:

Period 2: The Enemy Forces in Fallujah
Period 4:  Overview of the Battle 
Period 6:  Friendly Forces
Period 7:  Challenges in Fighting in an Urban Battle

Here is the video to watch in class. Take notes on paper and add them to your research notes on the Google Doc when you can on your own time. 

Some of this footage may be too graphic, so if you feel uncomfortable let the teacher know and you will be excused. 

Tomorrow you will be given the names of the US Serviceman you will bear witness too. 

Memorial Day Module: The Second Battle of Fallujah (Operation Phantom Fury)

The Second Battle of Fallujah


Our classes will focus on Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) which is the major military focus in Iraq during the Global War On Terrorism (GWOT). Specifically we will focus on the Second Battle of Fallujah. It would be helpful to read about the First Battle of Fallujah as well. 

Click on the Link Above to Get a basic overview and research some of the associated links. 

Your assignment on day one is to:

1.  Conduct some general research online to develop a basic understanding of that battle.

2. Start a Google Doc for yourself titled "Research on Second Battle of Fallujah" and share that Google Doc with me at 
killackeyr@norwalkps.org  .   Starting today place any information, links, etc. you find interesting as you "mine" the information. Place everything you think is important on this document to manage your information. 

3. Some things to think about:

• Coalition and US Forces versus the Enemy (Al Qaeda, Former Regime Loyalists, Shia Extremists).
• Significance of the City of Fallujah
• Contrast between the First Battle of Fallujah versus the Second Battle of Fallujah.
• What type of environment was this combat taking place in this battle?
• What were the casualties associated with this battle?
• What are some books associated with this battle?
• Who were the American casualties? What can you tell me about the persons who lost their lives in this battle?

The most important thing we do during this Memorial Day Module is to bear witness to their sacrifice. How much effort will you give to honor them...?