niko mini ex blog

Mini Expedition Blog 2012

For me SOAR is better then other school because it is not too strict and it provides me with the support I need for a school environment.  It’s hard to be away from home for so long but it does work out.

The people here are way more like me then at most other schools.  This helps me relate to people and talk about working out similar issues.  The teachers understand me too, and on top of all that we get to do school in Florida including the Keys, the Outer Banks, and the Everglades.

The group is already an awesome team that works together and gets most things done.  It’s probably the fact that four of us where together last year and all we had to do was integrate three new people into the group.

I also was very good with my goals though I didn’t reach performing numbers in life skills.  I want to get the performer status. I need to just keep working on my goals. I still miss my home though.  I love my dog Hannah a lot too, even though she’s not a person, she still cheers me up.

SOAR vs normal school=SOAR WINS!!!!!BYJOSH.H

SOAR is better in all ways about learning

 One of many ways is hands-on learning versus book learning . Book learning is non-exciting and it doesn’t encourage going to school. Hands-on learning on the other hand  gives you the experience  of going to historic places and  learning it while textbook learning, you just open a textbook, read, close, and that’s it.

The mini- expedition was on Monday, the 9^th through Friday the 13^th. We went to Florida versus cold North Carolina. We did hands on learning. We did a ranger talk versus a science textbook. We visited Fort Caroline instead of learning about it in a textbook.

In normal school  we have  five or seven hours but we have 3 hours on expedition. We get a lot more done in those three hours. I did 40 math problems, versus my 5 record at my old school. They did not do positive encouragement. In math, I got a lot more done than normal school because we were in the wilderness setting, which helps me focus a lot.

Field trips usually last only one day in normal school, but expeditions last days, which makes me happy. If someone gets in trouble, you don’t get sent to the principal. Everyone talks about it and it gets solved faster.

The teachers here at SOAR are much nicer and more understanding than teachers at normal school. Teachers here don’t have to deal with more than 10 kids when teachers at my old school would have to deal with 30 kids. Three teachers is better than one teacher, because with three teachers you can do one on one while the other teaches the rest of the class. This is why SOAR is much much better than a traditional school.

josh k's 2012 spring soar autobiography

We will fight or we will fall till the angels save us all!!

I don’t have any idea what this means but I think it sounds cool, and that’s why I said it…>=^{D.  [Maniacal laugh] > Hahahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa < [Maniacal laugh].  And because Mrs. Romona said to state a quote that will grab all of your attention =?{D. 

            Anyways, my name is Josh Kuehl, I am 14 Y.O.A., about 6 feet tall, 190 pounds, my birthday is February 4^th, born in Washington State, real home’s in California, love my 54 year old mom and 53 year old dad. Old huh??  Especially for a 14 year old.  Oh did I mention that I’m adopted teehee lol.  My parents tried to get a kid for ten years and if they succeeded I would be about 24 Y.O.A and never would have met my friends here or back home.

My mom’s name is Denise Kuehl, my dad’s name is John Kuehl, and Lexie, my dog, is my little baby girl.  My mom has blondish hair, my dad has grey hair, and Lexie is naturally blond. 

I like my life so far and love my friends and family.  I miss them dearly and can’t wait to go home.  I love you all very very much.

 Sincerely J.K.

don't I look epic

 

How SOAR is better by Peter Stulka

            From what I learned during the mini-ex, I think that SOAR is a better school for me than any of the other schools I have been to. It's more fun, mostly because we go on expeditions. The staff have more experience, so they don’t yell at me for being impulsive. Lastly, I'm not being singled out, picked on, or bullied like I used to be. Also, there are hands-on activities here. I feel understood, listened to, and already have made many friends that like me for who I am. I’m eating better food and feeling healthier after the morning run and miscellaneous exercises. Also, we get to apply our learning to what we do every day. We get to learn how to be more successful in life and various other activities.

I never felt safe at other schools because I’ve been stuffed into lockers, falsely accused, and singled out at recess. I made only one friend at my other school. Then, I decided that I wasn’t going to put up with that anymore. That’s why I decided to come to SOAR. I’m really happy that I discovered SOAR, because I used to be miserable and now I’m happy!

That’s it for this week!

How is SOAR school different from other schools? by AC berry

I think SOAR is different in many of ways. Here at SOAR we still have school in the classroom but that’s only for one week, then we get to go and learn about what we were studying in the classroom first hand. Now, in a traditional school you would go to school from 8 to 3, Monday through Friday and have to sit in class, read books, and hear boring lectures. At SOAR, we do go to the classroom setting but Mike and Romona try to work out our individual assignments. Normal schools would not take the time to even do that. They would just hand you the work and if you do not understand it, they usually do not care. Here at SOAR people do care. I think a big part of our education is our personal growth not only in the classroom but in the field too.  SOAR has provided some of the best staff to help our personal needs through this journey.

                Here is a question. What school that you know of besides SOAR lets you pick your own consequences? I do believe that SOAR is truly the only one. Just think about this, your back in high school and all of the suddened there is a big fight that goes down and you have decided on a consequence that they would have to be separated for 10 minutes.  Do you think that is a far consequence for that harsh of a crime? Absolutly not. This is why at SOAR the consequences have to be logical and reasonable. Here is an example, Say if two people are auguring and using  bad language the normal consequence to this is calling a group and  expressing why this situation happens. After that, the two parties give each other three ups. Giving three ups means saying something nice about the person or something you like about them.  This would not work in a public school area because there are so many kids for one. And second public schools are usually filled with people that love to fight, cuss, and do things that just break the law.

                If I ever had a kid I would never send them to public school. Too many gangs, clicks, and things like that. Here at SOAR no one judges anybody because we all have a learning difference. SOAR is the safest and the best school, if you have a learning difference. The best part about SOAR that there isn’t any drama. Well there is a little drama, but not as much as a normal public high school. The largest group is made up of 8 people. This helps all of our learning differences because it is a small classroom and we have hardly any distractions.

                I hope I have helped you better understand the difference between a normal public school and SOAR.

Sarah Wolfe

Sarah Wolfe’s Mini Expedition Blog

Soar is a really different school than any other I have attended.  At the other schools I’ve attended, I was limited to travel. My other schools have allowed field trips but we only went to places that are around the U.S.  At my two-day school, we plan a field trip for the end of the year. Here at Soar every day is a field trip. While I’m at Soar I get to travel to different places of the world. While we are at different parts of the world we get to do our schoolwork instead of being in a classroom. At my two-day school we have to be in a classroom. Soar is a lot better then my two-day school because we get to have fun.

SOAR is different than my previous school because... (By: Anna)

How SOAR is different than previous school’s I have been to.

            SOAR, unlike most schools, is a school specially made for kids with ADHD. ADHD stands for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Which means that kids with ADHD have trouble learning in standard school environments. Sometimes ADHD is hard to deal with. I found out I had ADHD when I was 7, and people picked on me a lot. I didn’t really understand why people didn’t like me. I hated myself because I was different than the others. All I wanted was to be Normal. After a while I realized something. Why am I being so hard on myself for being different? That’s when I started finding all my strengths and all the things I was good at. And I began to excel. SOAR also allows us to change the rules and or laws of SOAR if we don’t like it through advocating.

            There’s so many great things that SOAR offers. One of the things it offers is hands on learning. For children with ADHD it’s hard to sit still and learn. So here at SOAR, instead of reading a textbook and pointing out the pictures, you are traveling as you learn. Actually experiencing the things you are learning about first hand. For example, if we were learning about World War II, we would actually be at the World War II Monument in Washington DC. Hands on learning is much more fun and active than reading a textbook, or looking on the internet.

            Another great thing about SOAR, is that it offers one on one attention. I remember that when I was struggling with ADHD, I got in a lot of trouble. Most of it was because the teachers and or staff don’t understand kids with ADHD. At most schools the teachers don’t go around and help every student one on one if they have a question, but at SOAR, they do! Teachers at SOAR understand that we learn differently and struggle with different things, so they help us learn. They give us the one on one help that everyone needs sometimes in life.

            Enough about school, let’s discuss life at SOAR. SOAR is like an imaginary world. It gives you the experience of making mistakes. It compares life as an adult, and fits it into life as a child. Each of us have groups. There is a total of three groups at SOAR each semester. The groups help us learn communication skills. However, most of the time, there are some ‘not so friendly’ communication that goes on. This is when the adult world/real world comes in. For example, if two people in our team are fist fighting, in the adult world/real world they would probably get sent to Juvie; but at SOAR, they would get disciplined in a lighter, less strict fashion. Not only that, but it also helps us manage our bank accounts! Every Friday we have to manage how much of our money we have spent and or earned. We earn money from school work. When you complete school work you get money. On field you can earn up to $20.00, and on base you can earned up to $25.00!

            SOAR has so many great things to offer. Towards the end of SOAR you will become a stronger person, physically, mentally, and behaviorally. It definitely has helped me since last semester in 2011, and it should totally help this semester. SOAR has paid off in my opinion, and I am sure it has in everyone else’s opinion too.

Josh Henderson

“I am alone they are cold recalcitrant

Lethal-unknown survivor”  

Name: Josh Henderson

Trail Name: Sargent

I am in 6^th grade. This is my first semester at SOAR however I have attended WY and CA summer programs. I am currently 13 and live in southern CA in the small town of La Canada.  I am interested in rocket science, just kidding. I am interested in being an equestrian and genetics.  

I have five pets, which are four dogs and one hamster, and my parents, Lisa and Jerry Henderson. My pet’s names are Hercules, Preston, Ginger, Melody, and Aro the Hamster.  My brothers are William and Hayddn. Preston is the lowest in the pecking order and undyingly loyal. Melody is at the top of the pecking order. Hercules is second in the pecking order. Lastly, Ginger is third in the pecking order. These dogs have one character trait in common is undyingly loyalty. Ginger is six years old. She is fine with people she knows or is fine when the family invites people over however if she does not know you, she growls and is very scary. Preston is an escape artist and will patrol the front yard for unknown people. Hercules is a puppy and he has no traits other than the one listed above. Aro the Hamster’s traits are unknown. My family is very important to me but I don’t want to go into this. This is private.

Thank you for taking time to read my autobiography and have a good day.

Nikolas Nettesheim

I am probably one of the most creative people I know.

I love to draw, write, act, animate, invent, paint, make music, and play sports, mainly basketball. 

I love these things because every time I feel bad or angry I can do any of these things to make me happy.  Life is amazing and I feel so lucky

I am twelve years old and I am a blond with a mop load of hair.

I love any kind of cereal and I can’t ever say no to pizza.

I sometimes feel like the bright flower in a meadow, I am alone in a way but I also am still happy.  My family is my awesome little brother Dominick, my caring mom Johanna, my funny dad Ulrich and my indescribable dog Hannah banana.

            I want to be a moviemaker when I get older.  I also want to be a basketball player. 

      I live in Berkeley CA and my name is Niko

             Fun facts about me:

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-       <!--[endif]-->I’m weird

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-       <!--[endif]-->I’m funny

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-       <!--[endif]-->I’m athletic and fast

<!--[if !supportLists]-->-       <!--[endif]-->I am… lets say very different!

I goof around way to much

Meet Anna!:D

~You better get up out the way, tomorrow we’ll rise so we fight today, and no I don’t really care what you think and say, ‘cause we are gonna rock this whole place anyway. –Hollywood Undead~

          Ohey! My name is Annalyse Gabrielle Thomas, but I choose to be called Anna. My trail name is Raiiinnnbooowww. I am currently 14 years of age, but that will change on March 7^th, 2012.^. I live in Shallotte, North Carolina. For those of you who have no idea where that is, it is 30 minutes North from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and 45 minutes South from Wilmington, North Carolina. I have luscious blonde hair that lengthens down to my back and big hazel eyes (green, and blue). I am 5’4” and I weigh more than 1 pound, but less than 2,000 pounds. I am an extremely pretty young lady, if I do say so myself! My feet are very small compared to others.

            My family consists of six simple people that mean everything to me. My Mom, whose name is Hope. My Mom’s boyfriend, whose name is David. My dog, whose name is Ragland. My Grandmother whose name is Sandra. And my two sisters; Annabelle Rahal, and Ashland Smith. My Mom is 5’10” and she has dark brown hair. She looks a lot like me, and is gorgeous. David is a little bit taller than Mom, and I can talk to him about ANYTHING! My dog, Ragland, is probably one of the smartest 4 legged animal I have ever met! He is an adorable Maltese! My grandma is the strongest woman I have ever met. She has been through so much stuff and she is still the most perfect woman in my opinion! My sister Annabelle (not biological), is one of the girls that I can talk to 24/7 knowing she won’t be mad, or disappointed with me. She is one of the sweetest girls I have ever known. My other sister Ashland (not biological), is one of my closest friends in the world. She has always been there for me through everything.

David and Mom:)

Ashland and Me:)

Ragland:)

Me and Annabelle:)

            My family is important to me for the fact that they are always there, and will always be there. Families, unlike friends, are there through it all. If you have done something wrong, and you tell a friend, chances are the friend will stop talking to you for a while on the rank from how bad it is. However, family will listen and support you through it. That’s one good thing about having two best friends (Ashland, and Annabelle) that I can trust with anything. It’s hard to find best friends like that, but for me it was easy. I will always love every one of my family members and never ever speak down to them, because without them, I wouldn’t be here.

            I have a lot of hobbies. My two main ones are surfing, and hula-hoop dancing. I have been surfing since I was around 7 years old. My biological father was practically a surfing sensation. The first time I ever surfed, I stood up on the board the first wave. That’s when you know you rock at something. My other hobby, Hula-Hoop dancing, I started in 2011. Hoop dancing is a hard sport. It involves dancing, and a lot of technique. Hoop dancing helps relieve my stress a lot. When I dance I feel like my mind drifts off to a whole other world… leaving everything else behind. My strength is probably art. I can draw, act, paint, dance, and sing, everything that involves standing in front of a crowd. Art is defiantly one strength that I will never lose. Surfing is important to me because it makes me realize that sometimes, life has different waves. When you miss a wave, or wipe out, you have to get back up and try again. You can’t just give up when a wave doesn’t go perfect for you. You get up, and wipe off the dirt. Kind of like a quote I have heard before, “We dream of the perfect wave. The perfect job. The perfect house. And when we get there… we dream of something else. –Rob Machado”. Hula-hoop dancing is important to me because it reminds me a lot about life. For instance, the Earth is round, like a hula hoop. So I guess you can say that the Hula Hoop is my Circle of Life. What goes around comes around like a Hula Hoop, is what Lil’ Wayne spoke in one of his famous raps.

Me hulahoop dancing!

            My life growing up was hard. I moved from place to place. It’s full of long and complicated stories that I would rather not speak about. However, when I release a book I will tell you guys, so you guys can read about all of it! Hahaha. My life currently is pretty great. I have great friends, an awesome family, a loving boyfriend, and people who are always there for me. I am getting straight A’s in school, and I believe that I am finally showing my true colors! As for my life in the future will consist of college. Oh yes… lots and lots of college… I plan to attend Early College starting in the winter of 2012, and it will count as two years of my college. So by the time I am a Junior in college I will have my degree. I plan to attend Juilliard School of Performing Arts in 2015. Exciting isn’t it? I have been working hard since 8^th grade getting all my community service in, and all my grades up. I have volunteered for many different things. Although I am also going to enroll in Yale, and Harvard, also possible Appalachian State.

            Thank you for taking the time to read my autobiography. I hope you enjoyed reading all about me! I also hope that you learned a few things that you might not have known about me before. It’s always great learning about new people!

AC Berry

Life to me is experiencing the distractions that the world has for us. Some of those distractions are very bad for you, but can you have the self control not to do it.

            Hello there my name is Ashton Clayton Berry aka A.C.  I am 19 years old. I live in Asheville, North Carolina. I am about six foot two and weigh 235.

My family is my little brother, Andrew Berry, my Grandmother, Jeannette Williams, and my Grandpa, Albert Williams. I consider my best friend,his mom, and dad family too. Their names are Adam, Mike, and Pat.

I think family is important to me because no matter what, they will always be there for me though the bad and the good.

Some activities I enjoy doiare eating, playing video games, lifting weights, playing basketball, sleeping, and doing my job which was being a lifeguard.

I think lifting weights helps me not only to get stronger but also helps me to get out some frustration. When I play basketball and video games, I get really competitive. Although, when I lose I try to be funny about it. Lifeguarding is so underrated, at least that’s what I think. I mean, before I came here, we had a man that had a stroke at our pool. So the lifeguard on duty had to use his skills to handle that situation professionally and to make sure that the man was having his needs met. I am very glad I became a lifeguard because I do think I will use those skills later in life.

So far I think my life has been ok. After I graduated from high school, I thought I could take on the world. So I went to college but for the wrong reasons. I really regret my decisions. I decided to make over that time period. But I can’t look in the past, I have to look in the future. So my plan when I do get done here is to take life more serious and to get a good grasp of what I want to do in life and where I want to go. I do want to go back to college but for education only. And also I want to change and become an adult. I wish to stop doing mistakes that would get me into trouble. So when I get out of here, I’m going to try to find some more positive people that would never do anything wrong and would influence myself better because that’s what I need in my life right now.