Saturday, March 23, 2013

Go for it!



This past weekend my son competed in a music solo and ensemble festival.  For months he has been practicing  Weber's Concerto op 26 clarinet, a piece of music that was extremely challenging for him.  Some nights I would be awakened at midnight to the sound of him practicing.  Happily, his hard hours of work payed off and he will go to the regional festival next month.

For myself, Spring means that it is time for me to start thinking of swimming challenges.  I have my sights set on a few open water swimming events this summer, so it's important for me to start now in preparation.  Setting a goal motivates me to "just keep swimming." 

At school I see boys and girls challenge themselves all the time.  In Room F subtracting numbers is a big challenge for some people and for others it's "easy peasy lemon squeezy."  For some, writing one sentence in our journal is a challenge. But each week I see more and more students write longer and longer journal entries.


It's fun and exciting to see what you can do, when you challenge yourself.  

As Dr. Seuss wrote, "You're off the Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So...get on your way!"

Have you ever challenged yourself?  
What is your biggest challenge?


34 comments:

  1. Currently my biggest challenge is training for the Lake Tahoe Ironman. I have twenty-four weeks to get ready for the race and I will be doing two trainings a day, six days a week until September 22nd. My challenges are to stay healthy and be fit and ready to be at the start line. I am excited to begin this challenge on April 9th!

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  2. Wow, Mrs. McEvoy that is a very impressive challenge! I'll be there September 22nd to watch you finish.

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    1. Thanks Mrs. Levy. Knowing that you will be at the finish will help motivate me to get there!

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  3. My biggest challenge right now is studying for all of my midterms and big tests before the break! I have so much work to do and such little time to do it! I need to focus and manage my time well so I can finish the quarter with good grades. But I know that all of my hard work will pay off in the end!
    Rae Burnstine

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  4. My biggest challenge is staying positive. Whether I'm stressed out by homework or soccer, I need to be able to find a silver lining. Being positive doesn't only affect me, but also the people around me. Afterall smiling is contagious.
    Love always,
    Natalie

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  5. Currently my biggest challenge is having to study for all my tests this week! I need to stay on top of everything and manage my time well. I believe that if I study hard, I will ace all my tests!
    Your friend,
    Lily

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  6. I think the biggest challenge for me has been the transition from middle to high school. Going into high school, I was worried about how I was going to manage all the courses I was taking plus tennis. In middle school, I had never competed in matches nor had I played against other people. As my tennis season started, the amount of time for schoolwork dwindled and the hours of practice/ matches increased. Luckily through hard work and perseverance, I became a better tennis player and student! Looking forward to my next letter :)
    -Ambika Vartak

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  7. Hi everyone. Now for me my biggest challenge is probably doing well in math. This is my biggest challenge because when I was your age to seventh grade I was amazing, but now I am not doing so well in it. Ever since seventh grade I have struggling for some reason. That is my biggest challenge for now.

    Sincerely,
    Nathan

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  8. My biggest challenge was when I went to Astrocamp in the 5th grade. I have always been extremely afraid of heights for as long as I can remember and at camp I was obligated to climb up a net made of rope to get to the beginning of the zip line. I refused to go on at first and when I was midway through I began to cry. I never thought I would reach the top but I pulled myself through it and now I know I can do anything as long as I put my mind to it!
    - Seti Akhavan

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  9. The biggest challenge I've ever had to deal with was when
    I first came to this country. I was only six years old, and the transition was crazy. Not only did I have to learn a whole new language, but I had to learn my main languages better since I had only learned them a couple years before. Many things scared me,everything was so new,and I thought I would never be able to call America my home. After a couple years,I worked hard, learned English, made many friends, and I got through it! I can happily say that I love calling California my home, and it was all because I challenged myself! :)
    love,
    Guzal Yakubova

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  10. My biggest challenge over the past two years has been adjusting to baseball with an injury. I tore a ligament in my knee and had to recover for 9 months after a reconstruction surgery before I could play baseball again. Once the recovery was over I had to wear a restrictive brace that harmed my playing ability. When I overcame the brace, the physical therapy, and the surgery, my world became a better place for me. As i move on, my next challenge will be getting into college baseball.
    -Troy

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  11. Hi everyone!
    I think my biggest challenge is getting up willingly to do the things I should be doing, whether it is golf, piano, guitar or just homework! But when I get up and do them it feels so great!
    Love always,
    Candice :)

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  12. Hi everyone! My biggest challenge right now is preparing for my dance team nationals, which are this weekend! I have so much to do before then, like packing and practicing. This week I also have midterms so I have to study and prepare for that as well. I'm so excited for this weekend!
    Rebecca Pomerantz

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  13. My biggest challenge is decision making. I've always struggled with making choices, because I often times second guess myself. Whether it's a simple choice (like what kind of smoothie I want to order at Jamba Juice), or whether it's a more important decision (If I should take 2 AP classes next year), I have to learn to use my best judgement and accept whatever the outcome may be.

    Also, Mrs. Levy, I think that it's great how hard your son has worked on that clarinet piece! I actually won a competition last year playing that same exact piece on my clarinet!! It certainly is challenging, but I'm sure your son will do great :)

    Love,
    Danielle

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  14. Hi everyone! My biggest challenge right now is having to juggle lots of school work with my extracurricular activities! I have midterms, quizzes, and projects to get done by the beginning of spring break. My hobbies are starting to interfere with my school work, so I have to try my best to stay on task! I hope you all have an excellent spring break!

    Katie :)

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  15. One of my biggest challenges is getting through this school week. I have so many tests to study for and assignments to complete! I have to work really hard and not to get distracted easily (which is a challenge for me). I also have to manage my time really well and stay on task so i can finish off the quarter being satisfied with good grades:)
    xoxo,
    Eden

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  16. Hello!

    Currently, my two biggest challenges are:
    -Studying Japanese for the SAT test in November with my Mother.
    And!
    -Attempting to get this comment to post! ;)

    Love always,
    Aya

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    1. Aya,
      Thanks for the comment. I'm sure you'll do great on your SAT, and look your comment posted :-)

      Mrs. Levy

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  17. Hey everyone! My biggest challenge was competing at NCA nationals in Dallas for cheer. We were on a huge stage and I had to do a hard tumbling pass. I was so scared I would mess up in front of thousands of people! It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I love to do things to scare me! My team ended up winning our division and I will never forget that weekend.
    Kenna Klein

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  18. Hey Guys!
    One of my biggest challenges right now is making the basketball team next year. I didn't try out last year and i heard its twice is hard to get in if you didn't make the freshman team. I believe I can do it but I will have to work very hard. Have a great Spring Break everyone!
    -Roman

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    1. Hi Roman,

      I had basketball lessons before and thought it was fun. Good luck. Have a good Spring Break.

      Nic

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  19. Hey!
    Currently, one of my biggest challenges is trying to do well in all of my classes. As the year goes on, the classes continue to get harder and I am forced to study much more and work twice as hard. I am hoping that by the end of the year, my work pays off and I finish the semester with A's.
    -Joe Guss

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  20. Hi guys!
    One of my biggest current challenges is preparing for the Shakespeare festival coming up soon. A few of my friends and I are going to be competing against many other schools in Southern California by performing different scenes from Romeo and Juliet and though I'm very excited, it's also very difficult to speak the language easily and balance rehearsals with my school work. I know that if I work hard, the result will be amazing. Have a great spring break!
    -Ilana Degann

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    Replies
    1. Hi Ilana & Katie,
      I am so happy to read your comments. My challenge now is learning new moves in gymnastics. I love to learn them but they are sometimes hard.
      Have a wonderful spring break.
      Kayla A.

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  21. Hi everyone! My biggest challenge was probably coming into high school. Each student is presented with new teachers, a new work load, new courses, and many new friends. This is a big change and you are at a new campus! It's important to get good grades so that is also a hard part of this transition!
    xoxo,
    Evan Pearl

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  22. My biggest challenge is managing the time on my hands. With tough courses, an all year-round sport, and outside school activities my schedule is pretty busy. I try my best to study hard, play well, stay committed, and keep well bounded relationships with the people in my life. I try not to get stressed and to keep a positive attitude! Its a big challenge, but is something I'm willing to do! 
    Love,
    Kelsey Feinberg

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  23. Hey everyone!:) I think my biggest challenge right now is studying for all my midterms and other tests while I also have West Side Story rehearsals every day afterschool till 7 pm! I am totally learning how to manage my time. I cannot wait until spring break! My challenge is taking care of all my tests and packing and rehearsing before spring break so that I can finally enjoy a well-deserved break!:)

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  24. My biggest challenge is adjusting to baseball with an elbow injury. I have been out of the lineup since October but am slowly working my way back. Having to sit and watch is not always the easiest part of the game but it has helped me become more of a team player. There are always positive things to take out of a negative experience.

    -Jacob

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  25. My biggest challenge is trying to get good grades in school. Like many other kids I enjoy challenging myself but it can be strenuous and exhausting at times. There is no better feeling than knowing that you are doing the best that you can. I do not think I will ever stop trying to get the best grades that I can, but hey, that is who I am.

    -Joe Wayne

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  26. Hi everyone!
    I would have to say that my biggest challenge is to relax, have fun, and live in the moment. I know, that sounds like the exact opposite of many peoples challenges, right?:) But it's true. I have major anxiety and always need to plan ahead, stay on top of things, double and triple check everything, and make sure I never have to do something I'm not ready for. Luckily, this year I'm on the cheer team which is really helping me. It puts me outside of my comfort zone, but at the same time I'm having fun! I owe a lot of that to my stunt group because they always trust me to try new stunts before I trust myself.
    -Allison

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  27. Hi everyone! one of my challenges is to manage my time better. I get home late from softball and i am often up most of the night doing my homework. I need to work on managing my schedule better so i can still get sleep! I also want to work on not getting distracted while i do my homework!
    love,
    Carly

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  28. Dear Mrs. Levy,
    I am going to miss you over spring break. I'm so excited to see you on Monday after break and when I see you on Monday, I can learn about Coral Reef.
    Love,
    Kayla

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  29. Dear Mrs.Levy,

    My biggest challange was at my gymnastics showcase. It was fun but also very hard and scary. My sister also did it. We had a lot of fun together. Some of the skills were on bars, vault, beam, floor, dance and conditioning. The hardest skill was beam because I had to walk backwords on the beam. My sister was very supportive of me. I now think I have improved on gymnastics. I am so close to the next level on gymnastics which is Pink. I will never be scared of gymnastics again!

    Love,
    Morgan

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