Hopes and Fears

Hi Class! Share the hopes and fears on your mind coming into this school year. Making the year extraordinary requires contributions from everyone! At times this year, the learning experiences will be fun and easy, while at other times you will be faced with challenges. It doesn’t matter if you can’t do something provided you are willing to try.

Write a response that is genuine. Explain a few things you are excited for and share some of the areas/skills you want to improve. Go beyond a simple list. Describe!

Your response is due by 12:15 this Wednesday.

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51 Responses to Hopes and Fears

  1. Trey says:

    I don’t really have fears for this year I just hope that the best is yet to come through this year. I also hope that I will learn lots of new things and make a few new friends/

    • Mr. Bell says:

      It’s great to hear you have no fears, but remember we (adults and kids) are here to help if and when it’s needed! Be involved, encourage others to be involved and this will be the best year yet!

  2. Brendan says:

    honestly I’m afraid for math.We are in grade 7 and by then it gets pretty hard but I am hoping to improve in it. All summer I have been practicing my times tables.P.E will be fun and I’m hoping to really improve french.I know that it will be hard BUT its part of learning and even though I make tons of mistakes I know that that is how we learn, for how will we know what do do and how to do it right if we don’t know what not to do.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      You are absolutely right when you connect making mistakes to learning. Ideally, the mistakes we make at school are safe – it’s not like we are sending a rocket to Mars. Besides, if you go this entire year without making a mistake, one could argue that you have learned nothing. That would be a shame.

      Quick Fix:
      – Use an upper case (capital) letter to begin a sentence.
      – Leave a space after a period or a comma when you type. It makes it easier to read.

      • gurisha says:

        Brendan, i am really scared about math too,when i was in gr.4, my mom got me a gr.7 math book just for extra knowledge. When i saw the math in there i was really scared!! Although after today’s lesson i sort of calmed down.

  3. Alexa says:

    Hi Mr. Bell I am exited for We Day because its a full day with my friends traveling to Vancouver which to me sounds pretty good, plus you get to see many great performers and guest speakers!!!! I am also exited for lots of fun projects and helping out with book fairs, fun days and all around leadership roles.
    My fears are speaking up in front of big groups I would rather take it slow, I am not the greatest at reading out loud and having a lot of pressure of doing great.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Who is on this year’s list of presenters? Is there anyone you are eagerly awaiting to hear? Could you see yourself every speaking in that setting? It’s normal to worry about speaking to a group, but once you do it, the next time gets easier. Mistakes happen and things don’t always go as planned. Being resilient and learning from mistakes are valuable life skills.

    • Trey says:

      I am super exited for me to we too for all your reasons and for the encouragement from the stars of today.

  4. gurisha says:

    my hopes are having more dances and field trips this year, because last year we had no dances. All the field trips were just skating and YPC ,last year. My fears are just about next year, the thought of high school makes me nervous. i always think that im too immature and “not ready”.All though it feels great to finally be in gr.7! :3

    • Mr. Bell says:

      You have many worthy comments to talk about Gurisha:

      Dances can be great when the students dance. Too often the students run around, push and shove people together, and complain about the music. If there is interest from students, anything is possible. Dancing is a great way to exercise, socialize and be creative!

      Like dances, field trips are great when the entire class is involved. The issues with trips are to find free activities that are related to the curriculum. It is frustrating to plan a trip and have students fake illness or not get permission forms in because they do not want to go.

      It’s normal to be nervous about high school. Hopefully the skills you develop this year will make the transition easy! Be involved and try, you’ll be successful!

      • gurisha says:

        Mr.Bell that’s actually a very good point about the field trips , and dances. I’m also looking forward to me to we because some of my last years gr.7 friends went. They said its really fun but kind of hard to get a chance to go.

        • Mr. Bell says:

          Thanks for your kind words Gurisha. Now suggest ways we can have successful field trips and dances.

          • gurisha says:

            we can have successful field trips by getting the students to vote on where they want to,and have no school field trips but separate class field trips. We can have successful dances by having grade wise dances (example: dance for grades 6-7 or grade 4+). As for people running around and fooling around we can have rules, and a rule where you can only come if you are not going to goof off.

            • Mr. Bell says:

              You share some useful ideas Gurisha. Keep in mind that when we vote, it won’t always be unanimous. Ideally, we need 100% participation rate simply because it takes a great deal of time and planning to find alternate activities for the non participants.

  5. Matthew says:

    I’m excited for all the exercise we will get from all the physical activities in gym and I would like to improve on my multiplication facts to help me get faster and faster and a bit on spelling

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Good physical health is a important aspect is learning. It’s great to hear you want to improve your numeracy (math) skills. How will you practice multiplication facts?

      Quick Fix;
      – Be sure to add punctuation to end a sentence!

  6. Tyler says:

    I’m excited for high school next year an it’s really cool that me and my friends are in grade 7.
    But I’m hopping to get reading more and getting better at math

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Good post Tyler. How are you going to use Grade 7 to set yourself up for success in high school?

      Quick Fix:
      – What is the difference between hopping and hoping?

  7. Sam says:

    Something that I have fears about is not making friends. I hope that I make some soon. But another fear is that I doubt that I will not make any unil high school. A hope that I have is that I can go back to PG for a weekend and see my
    Friends. A fear that I have is that if I do see them… Will I see them again?
    I also have a feat that I will have bad grades this year because I need them to go into fine arts high school. I know it’s hard being the new kid but when I was new in grade 3 it was Italy different. I never expected anything like this. I hope that I receive proper guidance for the new school year.
    I fear that I may not be accepted in the school as a member of my classroom and in the school.
    I hope I stand out and not blend in with the group of kids (in a good way).

    Those are my hopes and fears.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Thanks for sharing Sam. It it difficult to move to a new school, but you are not the only one faced with this – you will make friends! Some advice is to be involved and outgoing. The natural instinct is to observe and perhaps be quieter than you normally would, however this makes it difficult for your new classmates to get to know you.

      Leaving friends behind is also tough. One great thing about technology is that it is so easy to keep in touch with friends anywhere, anytime.

      If you need to talk, or have questions and concerns, please talk to us!

  8. Mackenzie says:

    I am excited for art and PE because we get to do it everyday. I want to improve science because I don’t quite understand it all the time.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      It’s good to know this information, thank you for sharing. Be sure to ask for help from others when you do not know what to do. You may not ‘get it’ the first, second, third… time, but be sure to persevere.

  9. tj says:

    I am exited to have you as a teacher and for all the fun activites we are going to do this year.. 🙂

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Remember that everyone has a part in a fun year, and if you have ideas to make the year even better, your job is to share them!

      Quick Fix:
      – There is a difference between exited and excited. Can you explain the meaning of each word?

  10. Gabby says:

    I’m really excited for Me to We! I was really nervouse of what teacher I was getting. This will be a great year!

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Who are the speakers this year? Is there someone you really want to see and hear?

      • Gabrielle says:

        I want to see the guy with no limbs! He must have a extremely hard life. It’s sad to think the more than half the world doesn’t care but that’s life for yeah.

        • Mr. Bell says:

          One thing to realize is that no matter how bad or difficult a situation can be, there are always people who have bigger, more serious worries. Putting things in perspective is one way to help you overcome adversity.

  11. Sarah says:

    I am not the best at talking in front of the class. But I want to get better at it so I want to do it, and I like it a little too but a little nervous. I am also excited to Me to We, if I get accepted. Also excited to run the stations, help out and do lots of fun things this year!!!!

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Thanks for sharing Sarah! Regardless if you are the best or worst at something, it is important to try to improve. Being nervous is normal, but letting nerves control the way you behave will take the fun out of many experiences in life.

  12. Beau says:

    I am so glad that I have you as teacher and I would love to get better at
    math and science. It would be awesome if I was able to make new friends.
    I want to improve on my speaking. Hopefully all the field trips will
    be fun. Can’t wait until I am a snack shack helper. It’s going to be fun being
    a roll model for the kids at the terry fox run.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      It’s great to read you enthusiastic post! You will never get worse at anything if you are trying. Seize opportunities, take safe risks, and accept mistakes as part of the learning process – you will be amazed how you can do!

      Quick Fix:
      – There is a difference between roll and role, can you explain the meanings for each word?
      – Proper nouns require capitalization: Terry Fox Run.

  13. Mariah says:

    I hope that this year I will improve on my math this year and read more. I didn’t have many fears about grade 7 .

    • Mr. Bell says:

      It’s wonderful to hear your confidence going into this year. Be sure to invest time practicing math skills and reading on a daily basis away from school too!

  14. Seth says:

    I am hoping to make lots of friends, playing in all the sports and getting good grades this year and passing grade 6, but my fears are not passing and not getting good grades. Today was my first time doing genius hour and I really like it. I’m really excited for this year and making new friends and having fun!

    • Mr. Bell says:

      There is no need to fear failure in Grade 6. Be active in the classroom, show your best skills and ask for help when it is needed! We learn from challenges and mistakes.

      It’s great to hear you are excited about Genius Hour. I am looking forward to hear about your project proposal.

  15. Asia says:

    I am kinda scared about math a little bit because last year when I was at my old school I had a different subsitute teacher every week for half the year because of something that happened to my main teacher and it was tough to learn things since every teacher teaches things differently. I have fallen behind a bit in math and a few other subjects so I will need extra practice with those things and it will probably be challenging. I really hope to have a better and more fun year than my years at my past school.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      That sounds like it was a challenging situation because you did not get a great chance to get to know your teacher. Be sure that you let people know when you need help with something. Your teachers and classmates are here to help!

      If you want to have a fun year, you have a part in it. Be willing to try new things because you won’t know if you like something until you try…sometimes it takes several tries!

  16. Kiira says:

    I am so excited to go to Me To We this year and I hope that I will get accepted! However I fear that I’m not good with speaking in front of large crowds and reading out loud. I hope that I will become better at that this year. I am so stoked that I’m in gr.7 and I look forward to doing lots of fun activities and helping out.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      It’s great to see you want to improve your public speaking skills and confidence. The first hurdle is to see it as an opportunity rather than something to fear. Positive thinking is a powerful force. Instead of negative self talk, “I fear that I’m not good…”, tell yourself that you can do it. Another idea is to appreciate the skills of great public speakers, rather than compare yourself to them. Like any skill, it takes time to develop!

  17. kobe says:

    I don’t really have any fears for this year because. I’ve been in your class last year and I know what it’s like also I hope that. I get better at writing ,math, and handing stuff on time this year.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      This is great news Kobe! One key piece of a successful school year is to show what you know. Often, your teachers give you assignments and homework to submit. It’s impossible to show what you know if assignments are not handed in.

  18. Gabrielle says:

    To be honest I rushed the last post so I’m going to restart. I’m really excited for high school because I can see my old friends and make new friends. People say high school is the best. I’m excited for Me to We because me and my mom said ” when you finish high school we can go to Africa and help out poor families.” I’m definitely up for that. I don’t have to much fears except I don’t know really who to hang out because last year most of my friends were in grade 7. I’m pretty much pulling that together though.

  19. aliya says:

    I hope I will get a good report card. im in a grade 7 classrooom

    • Mr. Bell says:

      If you put forth your best work and try to improve regardless if you are an A student or a C- student, you will be successful.

      Quick Fix:
      – What is the difference between im and I’m?

  20. sydney says:

    My Hopes and fears for this 2013/2014 school year. My first hope is to strive to get an A in math and science. I was so hoping that I got Mr.Bell, I did YEAH! I am hoping that my last year in elementary school will be exciting. It was amazing to see every single grade 7 student be in a class together. Learning how to play crib was marvellous. I loved music with Mrs.Piroddi yesterday. Although it was the first day. My biggest fear this school year would have to be not have my best friend Kelsey be with me It was not as terrifying as i thought. I meet lots of new friends. I hope my grade 7 year will be a smashing succees.

    • Mr. Bell says:

      Hopefully your enthusiasm is contagious! It is great to hear so many positives in a short time.

      Having a friend move to another school does not mean you never see/talk to them. You will have many chances to build more friendships this year, and especially in high school!

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