Infinite Potential

I've been a blog slacker...things have gotten so busy at school I just haven't had time. But I am working on remedy for that.
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February 19th to 26th commemorates National FFA Week. In 1947, the National FFA Board of Directors designated that the week of George Washington's Birthday would be celebrated at National FFA week. Each year one week of February, including February 22nd is National FFA Week. Chapters around the country conduct a variety of activities to celebrate the occasion. Our kids have worn their Official Dress to school, decorated the FFA Trophy Display, served a Teachers Appreciation Breakfast, held an Ag Awareness Day for the 3rd graders and today we capped it off with the Ag Games. The whole middle and high school came out to play the Ag Games. We have events like the Egg Toss, Hay Bale Stacking, Wheelbarrow Race, Sack Races that allow members of each class to compete for a pizza party. The kids love it.

Each year there is also a theme associated with FFA Week and National FFA Convention. The 2011 Theme is “Infinite Potential”. As a teacher I love this theme. I truly believe that every student we come in contact with has potential. Sadly, by the time some kids get to High School, they have made decisions that limit that potential or they have been lead to believe that they don’t have much potential. However, I think that organizations like FFA can help unlock some of the potential that kids do have.

A lot of people think that “Ag Kids” have a certain look about them. Many do fit the country kid mold. I feel lucky that some of our best and most active kids aren’t those who are farm and ranch raised, but those who have discovered a love of Ag and FFA through their exposure here at school. We have traditional Ag kids and those who aren’t. Each of them brings something different to the table and are assets in building our program.

In order to use their “Infinite Potential” we have to support students in finding something they are interested in, something they can succeed at and something that is fun. We live in a fairly traditional area when it comes to production agriculture. Farms, ranches and dairies surround our little community, but our kids are into judging things like Floriculture and Landscape Design. FFA is no longer just about giving kids the tools to be progressive agriculturists but developing skills as future leaders in their communities. Thank goodness they have “Infinite Potential”.