2010 4D Dynamic Awards (updated on May 4)

Dear 4Ders,

Well before getting ready for the exciting trip, don't forget that the 2nd Term Test is approaching ! To encourage everyone of you to try your best and explore your potentials, the first-ever 4D Dynamic Award Ceremony will be held right after the test. Here I need your suggestions !! There could be awards given to those who got 5 class ranks up or those who got all subjects passed or those who set their targets before and got the targets achieved in the test and so on ! Your ideas will be adopted if they are encouraging and motivational ! By the way, you can also advise me on the prizes like 1-week free seating or 2-week neighbour at your free choice !

So what are you waiting for ? Come and tell me your great ideas and help make 4D a class of success !

The list of awards has already been announced- let's give a big big hand to all award winners who paid effort in different ways achieving their targets ! The award-giving ceremony is held on the coming day 1 !


List of Awards
Best All-round Students
Cheng YK
Lee NY
Ma KM
Yip MS
Cheng KM
Lo SF
Yau TW
Yeung HK

Students of Big Improvement
Yeung TL
Yim HM

Our Shining star
Chung TC


Ms Joe Chan

Never judge a book by its cover !

Dear 4Ders,

Please come and share your thoughts on the followings :

A. My Strengths
B. My Weaknesses & Solutions
C. About the suicidal case which happened last week

Remember to have your full name and class number placed at the top and write under the 3 suggested headings. The due date will be this Sunday.

Ms Joe Chan

P.S. Ting Ting and Jenny, when can we see our pictures ?

A belated sharing ~~ Giuliani's Quotations : Part II - Do What's Possible, Try What's Not

In Giuliani's second quotation, "Do what's possible" is a positive attitude we should have and "Try what's not (possible)" is what makes our life even better !

First, let's discuss what's possible ! Can you manage your time better ? Can you monitor your leisure time better by not spending too much time on the net or watching TV ? Can you go home earlier and start working on what you should finish within the day immediately ? Can you say "no" to any distractions like phone calls or on-line games/movies when you have lots of work to catch up ? As a Form 4/5 student who should be self-disciplined and target-oriented, what we mentioned above are ALL POSSIBLE, right ?

If you have passed Level One, here comes the challenge : Try what's not possible ! Can you imagine spending a few hours on revisions even after finishing your assignments ? Can you stand going to the self-study centre/library even on holidays while others are enjoying their good times hanging out with their friends ? Can you sacrifice your time for piles of mechanical practices and past papers ? Try your ability and potential and you may find that nothing is impossible !

Giuliani's Quotations : Part II - Do What's Possible, Try What's Not

Hope all of you have learnt something from Part I and tried to put it into practice: First Thing First ! Part II is coming out tomorrow, so wait and see ......


Ms Joe Chan

Giuliani's Quotations (Part I) : Who and Why is Rudolph W. Giuliani ?

(I am sharing the series with both 4D and 5D XD ! Hope you can benefit somehow.)

Rudolph W. Giuliani served as the mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001. Yes, it was September 11 of year 2001 which unveiled Giuliani's leadership to the whole world ! His role in leading New York in facing the terrorist attacks before and after the disasters won him both praises and criticisms.

Here, I am not going to discuss the 911 issue but the interesting and inspirational quotations in Giuliani's book Leadership which I have been going over again these days. His short quotations are worth sharing and learning for those who want to be good leaders as well as people who simply attempt to excel in different areas. Let's learn some of them together and of course, try to put them into practice !

FIRST THING FIRST
This 3-word phrase is what your parents and teachers have been reminding you of since you were small. In Chinese, it is like "We should do something which has to be done today within today." An English poet Edward Young got another famous quote you may have heard of, "Procrastination is the thief of time."

Being students, what come first every day ? They are doing homework, revising what you have learnt and practising to make perect. Finishing them, you are free to do anything like reading newspaper, watching news, reading books, doing household chores for your parents and so on. As the NY Mayor, Giuliani liked having morning meetings with his staff as he thought identifying and addressing the problems early in the morning, he would tackle them early.

Go and find out what matter to you and deal with them as early as you can every day. You will find that life is not that boring and studying is no longer a burden as you have spent your time wisely achieving something siginificant every day and, there is still time left for your favourite pastime !

Love,

Ms Joe Chan

Happy New Year !

Dear ALL,

What did you do on the first day of 2010 ? 2 more days to go and hope you are all ready for the coming challenge ! Remember to be dynamic - keep going and fighting for your bright future !

Wish you all a fantastic and memorable 2010, with everybody in 4D !

Love,
Ms Joe Chan

Keep the Spirit UP ! Our next target : Be an all-round class, 4D

What a month ! With our voluntary service at Arts in the Park and our great team spirit during the inter-class basketball competitions, 4D has realised what a F.4 class should have -- initiativeness, enthusiasm, cooperation, leadership, mutual support and above all, determination !

Big hand again to our basketball players who spent time doing the practices and revising the strategies ! As I said before, you all had won well before the finals ! Watching the match was really enjoyable ! Great job !

So, it's time to set for our next target : the First-term Exam ! Come and show we are not only a class who excel at sports, coperate well, grab every piece of chance to contribute and to learn, we are also a class who know the significance of "Work hard, Play hard" ! Here are some advice for your coming exam :

* reflect on your First-term test results and find our your weaknesses
* set a time-table for revisions, especially for the long holiday which is extremely hard for you to concentrate and be self-disciplined
* setting the timetable, you may try my way : e.g. the order of the exam was "a-->b-->c-->d-->e" --> then I would have my schedule arranged like this : "e-->d-->c-->b-->a" which meant I would revise on "a" a few days before the exam and when the exam went on, "b, c, d & e" would not be so hard for me as I had already gone over them once. I found this method worked very well, even for my public exams. Try it !
* check all your syllabuses, notes and all other related materials before the holiday
* go over the guidelines given by different subject teachers and see if there is anything which is still hard for you. If so, go and ask your teachers

* If you like, form some study groups with your friends who can help each other in different ways. Of course, you have to make sure that you won't spend time chatting or playing when you see your friends
* Last but not the least, set your own targets ! e.g. you failed in 2 subjects last time --> at least get all subjects passed ! e.g. you barely passed (i.e. 50 or 52)all last time --> certain improvement like 60 !

Can you try to spend some time thinking about my words and sharing your plans and targets with all of us here ? Try to do it by this Wednesday (9p.m.) with your full names and class nos at the top.

Look forward to your sharings and your great plans,

Ms Joe Chan

A Great Day - Arts in the (Victoria) Park

Hi 4D,

It was really an exhausting day but fun, right ? What did you feel ? Being told in the class, I know most of you found it tiring but enjoyable. Please come and type some of your feelings or reflections here to show how positive you are to the precious chance we have this year to serve the community and to have so many class-based activities. Also, can we have those who helped take photos that day sent all your photos to Chan Ting Ting so we can group them together and share with all of you here ?

Here is JC's reflection :

Being a teacher who went to the venue early in the morning and stayed till the end of the parade, I was glad to see that, for most of the time, even with the "a bit too simple" lunch, our class were enthusiastic and positive to what they had chosen for themselves -- helping other people !

The weather was a bit bad, the parents were a bit demanding, the tasks were a bit back-breaking, yet your smiling faces and eagerness brightened up the gloomy day !

Remember what John F. Kennedy said to his American people ? "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." Being volunteers, we should also ask not what the society can do for us;but ask what and how much we can do for our society.(yet, of course, you got self-satisfaction and appreciation given by the organizing groups e.g. our flag selling day and Arts in the Park)

Big Big Hand to 4Ders who definitely showed me you'd understood the meaning behind the events and enjoyed the process !

Looking forward to more good times with all of you !

Love,
Ms Joe Chan

Standard Chartered Arts in the Park Mardi Gras 2009

Hi Dear 4D,

Are you looking forward to our big day ? Here is some useful information for you :

Mardi Gras is a French term which refers to kind of carnival celebrations.

Visit this website for further details : www.hkyaf.com

Remember to meet your classmates at 7:45a.m. sharp at Tsuen Wan MTR station. I'll be in Victoria Park at about 8:50a.m. Don't forget your jacket and water bottle. Also, remember to have your breakfast before you go there !

Big hand to Chan Ting Ting who will be our Class Photographer ! Evan and Jenny will also help "patrol" around and take some photos in the morning.
Tin Long(boys) and Evan(girls)will be our group leaders that day so they will help take attendance at about 8:50a.m. and the end of the day ! (29 classmates a.m. // 30 classmates p.m.)

Wish us all a perfect day,

Ms Joe Chan

Post-test Syndrome (綜合病癥)

Dear 4D,

First, Congratulations to those who worked hard and got satisfactory results - as you sow, so you reap ! Sympathy and encouragement to those who worked hard but feel dissatisfied with the results - where there is a will, there is a way ! Big alarm to those who didn't try hard but still got "not bad" results - opportunities don't knock twice ! Whipping to those who didn't work hard and got bad results - no pain, no gain !

Anyway, the first term test has just gone and the first term exam is approaching but some of our 4Ders are suffering from an epidemic -- the Post-test Syndrome, which is commonly found among teenage students who are not determined or perseverant enough ! Some of your symptoms are as follows :

direction goes missing suddenly
concentration in class seems losing control
hard work at home disappears
even English lessons become boring
hard lesson given by Joe Chan fades away
words still speak louder than actions

Dear 4D, if you've got 3 symptoms or above out of 6, you're in critical condition !! The new curriculum is like an uphill battle which requires tough soldiers who can fight for themselves till the last minute, so are you confident that you can be one of the survivors in the end ? I am here giving you help and guidance but you are the ones who need to equip yourselves for the battle !

Remember the motto we chose for our T-shirts ? Be Dynamic --> keep moving and never stay still ! ARE YOU READY ?

*** Everyone in 4D with odd class number please express some of your opinions about your preparation, tests, test results or reflections here in no less than 100 words. The title is "After the 1st Term Test,..." Those with even class numbers please be responsible for giving feedback to your fellow classmates. Remember to give your full names and class numbers at the top of your writing and the due date is NOV 12. ENJOY ! ***

LAST CALL for on-line entry : 27 of you have made certain contributions except 5 !

A few words from Karen to 4D

Dear 4D pals,

I think you guys should practice more than you do now at home.

You should listen carefully to my mom- you'll never regret doing this. Here're a few steps to get you started:

1. Listen carefully

2. Take detailed notes

3. Put the subject title (e.g. Conditional sentence), date, and title on the top of the page ( not the very very top top, but on the first line on the left hand side) neatly every time on your notes.

4. Do your homework everyday- I usually finish my homework the day I receive it.

5. Have mutual respect all the time.

So! I think that's enough for a day!

Love,
Karen ( Joe Chan's daughter)

P.S. Good Luck on your test.

A Poem by Karen

MUTUAL RESPECT

May I remind you to
Understand
That I am your teacher,
Understand that
All of you students should
Listen to me by heart

Respect everybody as always,
Everybody should.
Specific people get special respect, other
People get different sorts of respect too.
Everyone of you,
Can you please
Try to remember that ?

Any Qs about the coming term test ?

Hi Hi dear 4D,

Have you started your revision ? Great if you've already started working hard...still not too late if you're going to do so now !

Your biggest-ever challenge is approaching and it's time you showed how well you're adapting to the new curriculum and our class, 4D !

Remember what Ms Chan Chan said last Sunday ? (not me, Elisa Chan !) Everybody is struggling to a certain degree and only your effort will be recognized and appreciated ! No one will pity you if you don't do anything to prove your ability !

Though I'm busy setting paper this week, you're still 100% welcome to ask or discuss any Qs about the test here. Let's join hands and fight for our 1st challenge !

Good news and Bad news ...

Dear 4D,

Which one you'd like to know first ? OK, be positive and let's start with the good news !

Good news
Congratulations on most of you who have ...

understood what Ms Joe Chan shared with you here and at school !
tried to make improvement like giving more responses/feedback during lessons and being attentive !
given your mini-project a perfect start !
shown your interest in learning something extra like Phonics !

Here comes the bad news ;-(

How could a few of you ...

still fail to hand in all your work/ bring all your stuffs as instructed ?
look distracted and even bored sometimes ?
hand in homework with low quality ?
not try your best to keep a good conduct grade for being late or looking untidy ?

Yet, like what "Meet the Robinsons" highlights , LOOK FORWARD ! Let's give a big hand to ALL of you as everyone of you has been making certain degree of improvement in different areas !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Tomorrow is another day, I believe that 4D can do better and better !

P.S. Looking forward, we can see the 1st test is getting closer and closer and it's time to start working on it ! Have you got any schedule like visiting the study centre/room or organizing some study groups ? Anyway, it's a good chance for you to show your ability and increase your self confidence for the coming 3 years !

After spending a month with 4D...

Dear 4D,

School life is never easy, especially when we don't want to be left behind or overtaken ! On the one hand, I do feel sympathetic with you due to the new curriculum, the increasing amount of workload and a pushy class teacher ! On the other hand, I feel disappointed with some of you !

Calling myself "a pushy class teacher" is only a joke, actually as I think I'm expecting something reasonable ! "You should pay attention in the lessons and follow the instructions given by your teachers." "You should finish your homework everyday and work on any upcoming quiz/dictation or test." "You should spend some time doing revision and checking your handbook carefully for what you have to do/bring." ... Are these what most of your teachers have expected so far ?

Encouragement and understanding work well to some of you while others need certain discipline ! October will be a milestone for our class and hope all of you will become more self-disciplined !

Ms Joe Chan

If ...

Hi dear 4D kids,

Has our revision on Tenses become a headache or even a nightmare to you ? As I said, we should start from scratch .........

Anyway, feel free to raise any Qs if you feel puzzled.(Type 1) I'll try my best to help you if you face any problems.(Type 1) Take action now ! It would be too late if you didn't make up your mind now.(Type 2) Learning takes time and effort. I wouldn't have become a teacher if I hadn't done my best before ! (Type 3)

Got it ? Right, we're going to start our 2nd item very soon - Conditional Sentences ! Do you remember how many types there are ? What do they all mean ? Conditional Sentences are also something you must handle well as people always make suppositions and have regrets. (If, On condition that, Unless, As long as, In case...) Please try to prepare yourself for our coming item !

Want to be a teen journalist ?

Hi all,

Ming Pao is now recruiting teen journalists. If you are interested, please go to http://studentreporter.mingpao.com/cfm/main.cfm for more details. Your participation will also become kind of OLE !

Ms Joe Chan

Try to view the pictures again

Hi all,

I've updated the link already and you can try to click the picture to view the album.

Enjoy,

Ms Joe Chan

Stars of the Day

Dear 4D kids,

Some good records to share with you :

Stars of the Day who SOLD OUT ALL !!!

CHENG YUEN KING
LUI HANG HING
NING HIU MING

WOW, big hand to all of you !

And there are some who were highly initiative :

LIM YUK TING, LO SHUN YIN, LO SIU FAN, YEUNG TIN LONG

Of course, everyone of you was doing a great job helping the people in need. Do you feel really good ?

Love,

Ms Joe Chan

Well done, 4D kids

Hi everybody,

What a day ! It rained hard at the beginning and turned to be sunny again.....Many of you got wet and sweated through......Anyway, do you think it's a very good experience ? Some of you told me that people were rude to you and a minority even spoke foul language (poor William !)I also witnessed some being turned down and discouraged but you never gave up ! It was exhausting and challenging but it must be a very good lesson for you ! C'est la vie ! (French : means this is life)There are ups and downs in our life and some people are mean while some are angel-like, right ? I'm also glad that even some shy students were brave enough to take the initiative to approach strangers !

Good Work,

Ms Joe Chan

P.S. Please share some of your feelings here .......