Can the Schoolyard Change Society?

When faced with growing ethnic divisions in society, children can play a significant role in mending the barriers. At least that's the attitude taken by one school in north-east Melbourne.

Joining in the annual Cultural Diversity Day last week, Reservoir East Primary School endeavoured to promote a more open and tolerant attitude towards different cultures, religions and world views.

The school provides education for some 150 students and is already very multicultural, being placed in an area with very many different nationalities where they interact with each other on a daily basis.

The organiser of the day, English and language teacher Panayiota Kai, said it's a great way for children to learn and appreciate each other regardless of differences. This helps them to form a solid basis for their future life in the community.


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Live each day as if it were your last!

"Too many women go around negative and discouraged, allowing their problems and circumstances to weigh them down. They live stressed out, dragging through each day, not really excited about life. What I have recognized over the years is that our problems are real, and at times, life is extremely difficult. After you get through this problem, after you overcome this challenge, there will always be another challenge to overcome. There will be something else to deal with. If you are waiting for all your problems to go away before you decide to get your smile back, you will miss the joy of living".

Additionally, there are also some women who have lost their passion for life and living. They have lost their enthusiasm. At one time, they were excited about their dreams. They got up every day with purpose and with passion.


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Gueco: Black Shadow Power

RRING......rring.........rring... sounded off my cell phone in the middle of the night. My how insistent was my best friend Sophiam in trying to contact me.

"Why are you calling me up?" I sleepily and grouchily asked.

Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo

Her voice shaking with fury, she replied, "I just blew my top this morning. My assistant Anna simply could not implement my simple instructions... I asked her to encode my article for the We Care magazine, which is printed at Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Imagine when I saw the printed copy, it was full of mistakes and spelling errors."

Shooting up like the heat of the summer sizzle, my temper blasted across the ceiling, I wanted to throw an ashtray at her and my voice quavered in violent tones...



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Martial arts instructor highlights Career Day

Kim's Black Belt Academy of Huntley was one of the many local businesses asked to present at the Algonquin Westfield Middle School Career Day on April 18.

"It is a great opportunity working with the future leaders of our schools and communities. The accomplishments, achievements, and developing the appropriate attitude through the martial arts provides the chance to learn about ourselves," said Rick Bjorkquist, chief instructor at Kim's Black Belt Academy of Huntley.

"Each student creates their own ability to actualize their true potential."

At 9:20 a.m., a classroom full of eighth-graders are all sitting quietly in their chairs listening intently to the person standing in front. Sound like a fairy tale in today's world?

This was the scene at the Algonquin school's Career Day.


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Supercharge Your New Year's Exercise Program

(ARA) - Avid health buffs around the world hit the gym on a daily basis looking to improve their attitude and physique. Most fitness professionals will tell you what you put into your body can definitely affect how you feel physically and mentally. The right supplement can take your workout to the next level and beyond."Stemulite is the most powerful supplement I have ever put into my body, period," says Corey Simpson, a former Mr. Florida and now active fitness professional. "In the first couple of days of using Stemulite, I increased the weight I was lifting by 30 percent and I doubled the amount of repetitions in my workout. It was a little hard to believe. In weeks, my muscle definition changed and I dropped excess water weight. In addition, Stemulite has also given me a great and deeper sleep, which is so important for recuperation.


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Be loving, not legalistic, with divorcing prof

Sigh. It would be so refreshing to pick up the newspaper and see a story about my alma mater on the front page that didn't make me cringe.

There are many great things going on at Wheaton College all the time. For instance, a senior and defensive end on the Thunder football team, Andy Studebaker, on Sunday became the first Wheaton player ever taken in the NFL draft. He's heading to the Philadelphia Eagles.

But the story that made Monday's front page was about Kent Gramm, a professor for 20 years in Wheaton's English department, who has lost his job because his 30-year marriage is ending in divorce.

More specifically, Gramm resigned (rather than be fired) after he declined to discuss the details of his divorce with Wheaton administration. While divorce is not automatic ground for dismissal, school policy requires the divorce to fall within acceptable parameters, based on Scripture, i.e., adultery, abandonment and the like.


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Change of mindset key to Africa`s progress

Making the people of African believe that the continent is prosperous and there is no justification for its people to remain poor is the best instrument towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), IPP Executive Chairman Reginald Mengi has said.

He made the remarks in Dar es Salaam yesterday during an audience with a 25-man delegation from the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, in Nigeria when they toured the IPP media houses.

Mengi said Africans had to make a breakthrough and shake off the negative attitude that poverty was here to stay.

``For many years Africa was classified as the poorest continent, irrespective of continued exploitation of its resources, and these resources could add to people�s efforts towards mental liberty, economic success and total eradication of poverty,`` Mengi said.


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