How to Write a Good Attendance Policy

How to Write a Good Attendance Policy Attendance is one of the biggest indicators of school success. Students who attend school regularly are naturally exposed to more than those who are routinely absent. Furthermore, absences can quickly add up. A student who misses an average of twelve days a year from kindergarten through twelfth grade will miss 156 days of school which nearly translate to an entire year.  Schools must do everything within their limited power to compel parents to get their children to school. Adopting and maintaining a strict school attendance policy is a necessity for every school. Sample School Attendance Policy Because we are concerned about your child’s safety and well-being, we ask that you notify the school by phone the morning the student is absent by 10:00 AM. Failure to do this will result in the student receiving an unexcused absence. Types of absences are: Excused: An absence due to illness, doctor’s appointment, or serious illness or death of a family member. Students must go to the teachers and request make-up work immediately upon their return. The number of days absent plus one will be allowed for every consecutive day missed. The first five absences will only require a phone call to be excused. However, any absence after five will require a call and a doctor’s note upon the return of the student to be excused. Explained: An explained absence (not an absence due to illness, doctor’s appointment, serious illness, or death of a family member) is when a parent/guardian takes the student out of school with the principal’s prior knowledge and approval. Students will be required to obtain assignments for classes to be missed and an assignment form completed before leaving the school. The assignments will be due on the day the student returns to school. Failure to follow this policy will result in the absence being recorded as an unexcused absence. Extra-Curricular Activity Absences: Students are allowed 10 activity absences. Activity absence is any absence that is school related or school sponsored. Extra-curricular activities include, but are not limited to, field trips, competitive events, and student activities. Truancy: A student who leaves school without parental consent or is absent from school on a regular basis without school authorization, or has a high rate of absenteeism shall be reported to the County District Attorney. Parents/Guardians are compelled to send their child to school and could incur legal liability for failure to do so. Unexcused: An absence in which the student is out of school that does not qualify as excused or explained. The student will be brought to the office for disciplinary action and will receive no credit (0’s) for all class work missed. When a parent does not call to report an absence by 10:00 AM the morning of absence, the school will attempt to reach the parents at home or work. The principal can determine or change an absence from excused to unexcused, or from unexcused to excused. Excessive Absences: A letter will be sent informing any parent when their child has 5 total absences in a semester. This letter is meant to serve as a warning that attendance may be becoming an issue.A letter will be sent informing any parent when their child has 3 total unexcused absences in a semester. This letter is meant to serve as a warning that attendance is becoming an issue.After 10 total absences in a semester, the student will be required to make up each additional absence through Summer School, or they will not be promoted to the next grade level. For example, 15 total absences in a semester will require 5 days of Summer School to make up those days.After 5 total unexcused absences in a semester, the student will be required to make up each additional absence through Summer School in May, or they will not be promoted to the next grade level. For example, 7 total unexcused absences will require 2 days of Summer School to make up those days.If a student has 10 unexcused absences in a semester, the parents/guardians will be reported to the local district attorney. The student is also subject to automatic grade retention. Attendance letters will be automatically mailed when a student reaches 6 and 10 unexcused absences or 10 and 15 total absences during the school year. This letter is intended to inform the parent/guardian that there is an attendance issue that needs to be corrected along with potential consequences.Any student having more than 12 unexcused absences or 20 total absences for the entirety of the school year will be automatically retained in the current grade level regardless of academic performance.An administrator may make exceptions for extenuating circumstances at their discretion. Extenuating circumstances may include hospitalization, long-term illness, the death of an immediate family member, etc.

Non-Gradable and Gradable Adjectives in Grammar

Non-Gradable and Gradable Adjectives in Grammar In English grammar, gradability is the semantic property of an adjective that identifies different levels or degrees of the quality it denotes, such as small, smaller, smallest. An adjective that is gradable (or scalar) can be used in the comparative or superlative forms, or with words such as very, fairly, rather, and less. Although many adjectives are gradable, not all of them are gradable in the same way. The big divide, says Antonio Fabregas, is the distinction between qualitative and relational adjectives (The Oxford Handbook of Derivational Morphology, 2014). Examples and Observations There is a vast difference between better and best. You may be better than the rest, but you are not a success until you have made the effort to become the best you can be.(John Wooden, Coach Woodens Pyramid of Success. Regal, 2005)I want to go on record right now, that this is the most stupid, dimwitted, idiotic, moronic piece of putrefied garbage that I have ever in my entire professional career had the displeasure of being involved with.(Richard Dreyfuss as Chris Lecce in Another Stakeout, 1993)Happy insect! what can beIn happiness compared to thee?Thou dost drink and dance and sing,Happier than the happiest king!(Abraham Cowley, The Grasshopper)Gradable/Non-gradableAdjectives fall into these two subclasses according to two criteria: (1) whether the adjective can have a comparative and a superlative form; (2) whether the adjective can be modified by an intensifying adverb (e.g., very). For example, big is a gradable adjective: it can form a comparative (bigger) and a superlative ( biggest), and it can be modified by an intensifier (very big). On the other hand, the adjective wooden (i.e., made of wood) is non-gradable; it fulfills none of the criteria.(H. Jackson, Grammar and Vocabulary. Routledge, 2002) Adjectives are often considered to be the prototypical example of a gradable category. Degree expressions such as too are restricted to adjectives and morphological comparatives. This has led several linguists to conclude that gradability is a distinctive property of adjectives, while others rather insist on the fact that gradability is found across categories.(Jenny Doetjes, Adjectives and Degree Modification, in Adjectives and Adverbs: Syntax, Semantics, and Discourse, ed. L. McNally and C. Kennedy. Oxford University Press, 2008)The age is best which is the first,When youth and blood are warmer;But being spent, the worse and worstTimes still succeed the former.(Robert Herrick, Song)Gradability and Suppletion- Sometimes we find the phenomenon known as suppletion, where word forms of different historical origins stand in the same sort of relationship within a grammatical paradigm . . .. Thus, worse and worst stand in the same paradigmatic relationship to bad as poorer and poorest do to poor. . . . Both forms go back to the Old English period (Old English wyrsa and wyrst), and they have been the antonyms of better and best (Old English betra and betst) throughout their history in English, but the adjective in the general sense bad to which they correspond (again suppletively) as comparative and superlative in Old English is yfel (modern English evil).(Philip Durkin, The Oxford Guide to Etymology. Oxford University Press, 2009)- Good, better, best,never let it resttill your good isbetter, and yourbetter best.(This early-20th-century dictation exercise illustrates the  suppletive  comparative and superlative forms of the adjective  good.) The Lighter Side of GradabilityGeorge Costanza: Youre gonna over-dry your laundry.Jerry Seinfeld: You cant over-dry.George: Why not?Jerry: Same reason you cant over-wet. You see, when somethings wet, its wet. Same thing with death. Like, once you die, youre dead. Lets say you drop dead and I shoot you. Youre not gonna die again, youre already dead. You cant over-die, you cant over-dry.(Seinfeld)One closing grammar note: I got several letters from people who informed me that stupidest and stupider are not real words.To those people, I say, with gratitude and sincerity: Oh, shut up.(Dave Barry, Hoosier Your Daddy. The Baltimore Sun, January 12, 2003)

Quality TV Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Quality TV - Essay Example 4). The discussions on quality have been evident for a long time. For example, according to Robin Nelson, television quality was determined in UK and USA by basing on traditions or cultural values (Akass, 2007p. 4). It is also worth stating that there has been a shift in the television quality rating due to economical or social factors. According to Cardwell, the business strategies usually affect the programs cast in televisions. This is because most institutions and industries usually adopt institutional and cultural discourses when determining quality based on broadcasting mandates, policy-making decisions, and the production demands. Sarah Cardwell conducted critical judgment and evaluations to establish the differences since the variance between quality and good television had been neglected. She stated that the television studies lacked sufficient attention on the conceptual matters. Consequently, the difference between quality and good television can be established by looking at the generic classification of television programs. In 1995, Cardwell let her television students watch 1995 classic-novel where the students had different opinions about the movie. For example, one student said that the movie was of high quality but rather boring making it improper. From the findings, it was clear that the quality of television is determined by the way the television program has been filmed or acted. Concurrently, a good television program is rated based on the textual characteristics of the program (Akass, 2007p. 20). In summary, a good television is moving, riveting, provocative, rich, and should be frequently contemporary. It should not only be relevant but the viewers should also value it (Akass, 2007p. 21). However, the classifications of the quality of television are largely dependent on the national context. For instance, the contemporary quality of television in Britain is different from American television quality. According to the BBC and Public Space, television quality is a priority. In March 2010, the BBC’s executives published the proposals that were meant to increase efficiency and ensure quality by restricting new online activities (Potschka, 2012 p.25). The collaboration between the HBO and BBC enhanced their reputation of producing quality programs. This has been beneficial in helping HBO consolidate its market position. HBO has experienced several successes when producing programs such as The Sopranos, Sex and the City, and the Six Feet Under. However, it is having trouble maintaining its success due to the changing nature of the television industry. They have developed a creative approach that will enable them to improve the success of their television programs. The approach in the post network has been characterized by high-production values, artistic integrity and risk-taking process that are highly creative (Akass, 2007p. 62). The famous HBO program, The Sopranos has been analyzed based on the industrial factor s. Since it is a gangster television program, it usually exists in the form of a pre-sold television program. It has prompted researchers and scholars to analyze it in terms of branding (Jaramillo, 2007 p. 594). For the quality brand of The Sopranos to be established, HBO has differentiated its merchandise from the

Lyme Bay and Tort Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Lyme Bay and Tort Law - Essay Example The case of teenager deaths of canoeing in the Lyme Bay in March 1993 should be considered in the context of tort law. There are different aspects of the case, which should not have occurred at all. The canoeing activity should have been reconsidered under stricter regulations. St. Alban's Centre lacked of a proper supervision of canoeing activity. Therefore, the individual from the company was accused of four teenagers’ deaths. The involvement and mutual cooperation of parental, educational, health and social organizations resulted in legal regulations changes in the field of outdoors businesses. On March 22nd 1993 the canoeing party was organized by teachers and pupils and they were under supervision of two instructors from the St Alban's Centre. They were intended to reach Lyme Regis by lunchtime. The raft was far away from teachers and students and they were protected by life jackets. Only at 18:40 the rest of party members were rescued by helicopter . Consequently, this c ase is an appeal for the publicity to better regulate safety of outdoor activities for pupils. The coastguard was accused of oversight of their rescue activities and there was a need to better develop rescue operations on the coast. The main emphasis is made on outdoor education, which has been provided by the charitable organizations and authorities. Tort law implications In terms of tort law there are different prospects on this study. On the one hand, participants of Lyme Bay accident were under protected. On the other hand, their deeds and actions were neglected by the employees, who were not informed on time. Thus, in order to give an unprejudiced evaluation of the situation, it is relevant to focus on safety standards of recreation regulations of 90s. The ACAC Code of Practice is one of the most essential steps in the area of recreational sphere protection. Both the implications of statutory regulations and self-regulations were much concerned2. There was a need for an effective research and survey in the field of health and safety protection in the area of recreation activities. The role of public was essential, because people had a chance to have an access to required information about the relevant inspections. Lyme Bay accident was a starting point for considerations taken by the Departments for Education (DFE) about safe ty and protection of teachers and pupils at schools3. Explicit regulations at the governmental level taken by the government are also considered to be safety and protection laws determinants for further implementation at the local level. Moreover, it was found out that it is relevant to "place Education Authorities across the country in an invidious and untenable position" and there is a need for existence of monitoring organizations recording serious violations of activity centers4. Otherwise the public concerns of parents would be dubious with respect to pupils’ safety at school. The role of public concern and its explication in the tort law led to positive changes in

Problem Solving & Spreadsheet Modeling Essay Example for Free

Problem Solving Spreadsheet Modeling Essay This paper talks about the problem solving process along with examples, as well as one of more commonly used modeling and analytical techniques, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. It also talks about its dependency, its uses, disadvantages and well as explores ways to better this very new, but powerful technique. | Modeling is the process of creating a simpliï ¬ ed representation of real life problems and representing them in an organized fashion in order to understand a particular problem. These models can take many forms such as mental, visual, mathematical or electronic spreadsheets to name a few. Their uses can be seen in almost every field of our daily lives such as businesses, governments, human resources, science and engineering, and medicine etc. Their primary function is to gain insight into a specific problem and after getting a clear understanding of the topic, one can easily approach it from different directions with possible solutions. This paper discusses this process in detail, starting with gaining insight into a specific problem by using a problem solving model, and then moves on to how it applies to spreadsheet modeling. It also discusses different aspects of electronic spreadsheet engineering, its uses and caveats, as well as its dependency in the business world these days. Before creating any models, visual, mathematical or spreadsheets, one has to start with the problem solving process. The problem solving process consists of six stages that can be followed to solve almost any problem. These stages or steps are employed and are repeated multiple times, not necessarily in the same order, to obtain an efficient and refined solution to a particular problem. The first of these stages is exploration of a â€Å"mess†. â€Å"A mess is a morass of unsettling symptoms, causes, data, pressures, shortfalls, and opportunities† (Baker Powell, p.18). One of the key issues in solving any problem is to be able to take any given situation and extract key information, problems, issues as well as opportunities from it. A problem never presents  itself in a clear, well-posed statement. It is usually hidden in a scenario, along with a lot of other trivial information and any problem solving should start by understanding a given situation and be able to extract key information from it. â€Å"During this phase, questions that are explored include listing problems or opportunities that are to be faced, gaps between current and desired situations, and thinking about stated and unstated goals.† (Baker Powell, p.21) Baker and Powell use an example of a pharmaceutical company in their book, where majority of that company’s revenue is generated from the production and distribution of a single drug, and present a scenario where the patent for that drug heads towards its expiration date in upcoming months. Using this scenario, exploring the mess stage would involve the company officials to perform individual researches and evaluate any threats and affects the expiration of the drug patents would have on their revenues as well as taking initial steps to address the upcoming problems (Baker Powell, p.21). Second stage of the problem solving process involves searching for information. â€Å"This includes opinions, raw data, impressions and published literature etc. and involves casting about widely for any and all information that might shed light on what the problem really is† (Baker Powell, p.22). This is basically a â€Å"brainstorming phase†, and usually involves approaching the mess from different directions. In the case of the pharmaceutical company, for example, senior managers would handle this phase by holding meetings and addressing their discomfort towards the upcoming problem as well as hiring outside consultants to perform company as well as industry research and gathering all the necessary facts involving this problem. â€Å"This stage is usually complete when relevant information for the situation at hand if found and organized and when initial hypotheses about the source of the problem and potential solutions are discussed.† (Baker Powell, p.22) The next phase of the process, known as â€Å"identifying the problem†, st arts out in its divergent phase with a few possible problem statements that can be inferred from earlier stages. These problem statements are evaluated and results in a final, more detailed, problem statement that may or may not be an aggregation of one or more initial statements. It is imperative that each of the initial problem statements are examined individually and eliminated carefully and the end result is an unambiguous problem statement. For  example, the pharmaceutical executives may initially come up with two different problem statements, one dealing with somehow extending patent dates and focusing on revitalizing their strategy around the existing drug, while the other group thinking about how to come introduce other drugs into the market to cover the decline in revenues. Another option looks at decreasing costs and expenses overall to cover the losses incurred. From these initial statements, developing a portfolio and introduction of new drugs seems to win the general consensus. The next phase of searching for possible solutions to the now defined problem statement involves open-ended process searches for good, even radical, solutions. This can only be done however, when a problem statement has already been described. â€Å"Considering possible solutions to an ambiguous problem is not only inefficient but also dangerous as well, since it can lead to solutions that were nowhere close to the original problem and can result in a lot of wasted time and resources. This stage is complete when a list of potential solutions is produced and perhaps a list of advantages and disadvantages for each one† (Baker Powell, p.23). In the case of the pharmaceutical example, this phase can start out with solutions including speeding up FDA approval process for the new drugs, investing RD resources and funds towards drugs with the highest percentages of approval and focusing on a new portfolio of drugs in the same medical category, and thus providing expertise in one or two specialty areas (Baker Powell, p.23). Next comes the stage of evaluating all possible solutions and deciding on the preferred solution. This is done through evaluating each of the initial solutions against a set of given criteria. â€Å"This can lead directly to a preferred alternative. More often, this process leads to changes, and improvements, in the solutions themselves. Often, stronger points of multiple solutions are grafter together while less attractive aspects are removed and through this process, a final, preferred solution is refined† (Baker Powell, p.24). For example, for the pharmaceutical drug scenario, after evaluating and grafting various solutions, it can be decided that one most critical area for improvement is how RD funds are allocated over time. And finally, the problem solving process concludes with implementation the preferred solution. In this phase, a problem-solving team will identify sources of resistance as well as support for their solution. During this stage, once a  solution has been implemented, a final evaluation is done after some time to see if the implementation has been successful or not. This stage concludes when an implementation plan is produced and executed enough so that the team may begin to evaluate how well it is succeeding. For example, the pharmaceutical problem solving team will have to get approval and support from the senior management for their solution and when they carry the plan forward, they must monitor its impacts and modify it as needed, and solve a new set of problems as they arise. In order for a solution to be refined, these six steps must sometimes be repeated multiple times, each time creating a new solution to the problems in the previous cycle. â€Å"It is also worth stating that only rarely are these six stages followed in a strict sequence. Most problem-solving processes move back and forth from one stage to another, perhaps rethinking the problem statement while evaluating solutions, or returning to an information-gathering mode while searching for solutions (Baker Powell, p.25).† Now a brief overview of the problem solving process has been outlined, we can discuss one of the more common problem solving and analyzing techniques used in the business world today, i.e. spreadsheet modeling. Baker and Powell explain it in their book that â€Å"spreadsheet is the second best way to do many kinds of analysis and is therefore the best way to do most modeling (p.4).† Basically what this means is that for any singular modeling task, there is always some better, more powerful software available that can handle that specific task. However, due to the complexity and costs related to such applications and their very narrow scope of problem solving capabilities, it becomes inefficient for most companies and analysts to use separate software for separate models. Therefore, most of the modeling in the business world is done in electronic spreadsheets due to its nature of being able to handle and process a wide scope of modeling and analytical tasks. There are, however, limitations to electronic spreadsheets due to its broad capabilities but most modeling tasks in many companies can be easily handled through spreadsheet modeling and analytical tools. Despite their limitations, spreadsheets allow modelers to build more detailed and more complex models and also have the advantage of being pervasive in business analysis. On the other hand, however, using ele ctronic spreadsheets is not without its downsides. The business world is still at an early stage of understanding how to develop error-free  spreadsheets. And one of the caveats of using electronic spreadsheets is assuming that they are error free. In fact studies and research have shown that only less than ten percent of spreadsheets in individual studies have been free of any errors (Graves, p.1). These errors may be small and would seem very insignificant, such as improper sorting or entering numbers as text, but in larger companies, the results can be devastating and can cause effects ranging from ineligible candidates becoming police officers to a school losing more than $50,000 in funding due to budget understatements (Baker Powell, p. 6). When using electronic spreadsheets, or any software for that matter, it is also imperative to ensure that the software packages are always up to date. This can range anywhere from applying security updates to upgrading software versions altogether. â€Å"Upgrading a business software is more than just an economic business decision. It is a matter of security, productivity, lower costs, and employee morale† (Garger, p.1). The longer any software has been around, the more vulnerable it gets to malicious viruses and security breaches. Therefore any software must be updated or upgraded routinely since newer versions would be safer from a security standpoint guarding against vulnerabilities from previous versions. Another reason to keep software up to date is from a budget point of view. Usually, older versions of any software are more expensive to maintain than the newer versions (Garger, p.1). And probably the most important reason to update any software, and especially spreadsheets, is an increase in productivity. Software companies are continually adding newer features to their applications that increase productivity and are efficient in handling various tasks. More often than not, newer versions usually have larger set of capabilities and tools under their belt and can perform more tasks in lesser time and with more ease (Garger, p.2). Even though electronic spreadsheets are still quite new in the business world, their dependency has been increasing drastically in the past two decades. About 25 years ago, the idea of personal computers was unknown to most and â€Å"modeling was performed only by specialists using demanding software on expensive hardware. This meant that only the most critical business problems could be analyzed using models, because only these problems justified the large budgets and long time commitments required to build, debug, and apply the models of the day (Graves, p.1). However, since then, the ever evolving technological advances  starting with personal computers, spreadsheets and now the add-on features for specialized analyses have greatly changed the business world. Nowadays, anyone with a laptop and little background in spreadsheet modeling can easily handle tasks that would have been thought of as quite complex 25 years ago and would have required teams of specialist to perform (Baker Powell, p.5). In fact, â€Å"these applications have become a staple of end users and business professionals and are widely used by businesses, service agencies, volunteer groups, private sector organizations, scientists, students, educators, trainers, researchers, journalists, accountants and others† (Graves, p.2) In conclusion, spreadsheets represent an ever-present platform for businesses and our dependency on them cannot be understated. However, as with any great tool, there are many stipulations. Any tool can be only as useful and powerful as its user. Therefore, in order to use electronic spreadsheets properly, one has to be proficient in their use and must acquire the necessary skill set to create and analyze powerful and effective business models. Knowing the capabilities of any given software as well as its limitations is crucial. And finally, planning a spreadsheet model properly and never assuming that it will be error-free are necessary to create successful business models. â€Å"Only with a solid foundation in spreadsheet engineering can the business analyst effectively generate real insights from spreadsheet models (Baker Powell, p.8). References Baker, Kenneth R.; Powell, Stephen G. (2010-10-08). Management Science: The Art of Modeling with Spreadsheets, 3rd Edition. John Wiley Sons, Inc. Kindle Edition. Garger, John. â€Å"The Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Software†. Bright Hub. Nov 8th, 2010. Accessed Dec. 12th, 2012. http://www.brighthub.com/computing/hardware/articles/43180.aspx Graves, Sherry. â€Å"The Importance Of Excel In The Workplace†. SparkNET. Sept. 10, 2007. Accessed on Dec.12th, 2012. http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Importance-Of-Excel-In-The-Workplaceid=724646

Essay --

In the novel Lord of the Flies William Golding uses many forms of symbolism to point out the underlying conflicts in their society. By using these symbols he makes the reader not only think about the problems that arise in the book, but also hints towards problems in our society today. The story uses the conch, fire, and the glasses to reference other meanings in the story. These symbols play a crucial part in the story in which they provide the reader with information that isn’t directly stated but is inferred. The first symbol that appears in the story is the conch which was found by Piggy and Ralph early in the story. The boys believed it to be held by the person with the power to govern and speak for the people. This power was recognized early to ralph "But there was a stillness about Ralph as he sat that marked him out: there was his size, and attractive appearance; and most obscurely, yet most powerfully, there was the conch"(Golding, 22). When choosing their chief the conch appeared to give Ralph power over Jack in the decision for bringing them all together with the conch i...

Abortion and the Symbolic Interaction Paradigm

In this paper, we needed to discuss whether or not abortion contributes to the corruption of today’s society, using the symbolic interaction paradigm. We have come to the consensus, as a group, that abortion does contribute to the corruption of today’s society simply because it is such a heated issue and therefore people choose sides. When people choose sides, and are unable to look at a situation from another person’s point of view, there tends to be corruption. Symbolic interactionism is a theoretical perspective that people use definitions, meanings, symbols, interpretations, and human interactions to compare themselves to others (Henslin, 2010, p. 15). Herbert Blumer, whom attended University of Chicago with one of the founders of the symbolic interactionism perspective, George Herbert Mead, developed one of the most prominent versions of the perspective (McClelland, 2000). Mooney, Knox, and Schacht explained Blumer’s theory of the symbolic interactionism perspective. According to Blumer, social problems develop in stages. The first stage is â€Å"social recognition†, when the social problem first happened. The second stage is â€Å"social legitimization†, when the problem is recognized by the community. When the community gets concerned and starts to develop a way to react is called the â€Å"mobilization for action†. â€Å"Development and implementation of an official plan† is when legal regulations occur (Mooney, Knox, & Schacht, 2000, p. 10-16). There are many ways that people interpret the idea of abortion, and they often use words to help get their opinions across. Language is just a system of symbols that we recognize as a way of communication, and in terms of abortion, there are several ways to use language to make points to solidify one's position on the issue. The pro-choice movement is a group that believes that women should have to choice to have an abortion if they feel that it is necessary given their personal circumstances. The phrase â€Å"pro-choice† is a very strong symbol in itself because it can cause people to think in a more broad sense, implying that if one is not pro-choice, then he/she must believe that the mother of the unborn child does have rights to her own body. On the other hand, pro-life can also be seen as a very significant symbol, because it also tends to imply that if one is not pro-life, they simply believe that the unborn child in the womb does not deserve to live. Obviously, this conclusion is not always true, but it is the implications that make the phrases such strong symbols. Each side of the argument has its own list of legitimate reasons why they feel that their way is the right way, but there are some words that they use that are demeaning and insulting to whomever it is that is considering an abortion. While it is understandable that many pro-life groups believe that an abortion is a terrible way to end a life, the use of strong, suggestive words makes it seem like they are simply trying to make women feel even guiltier about having an abortion. Having an abortion is oftentimes one of the most heart-wrenching, difficult decisions a woman has to make, and some pro-life activists still feel that it is necessary to make the woman feel even more torn by comparing abortions to murder. This is probably the strongest, most symbolic word used to describe an abortion. No matter what a group's opinion on the subject, they should not use guilt as a means of trying to turn people away from abortion. This leads to further arguments, and more importantly, it leads to women feeling even worse about their decision should they decide to go through with an abortion. Words are a very big part of symbolism when dealing with such a sensitive subject like abortion. They can be used positively, to try to enlighten a person on the subject, or they can be used negatively, to try to scare a person into siding with one group or the other. Because there are so many negative connotations that go along with having an abortion, it becomes a very significant factor of social corruption. There are different types of abortion, therapeutic abortion, when the mother’s health would be at risk if the pregnancy was continued; elective abortion, when the woman decides not continue a pregnancy for whichever reason; abortion pill, which can terminate a pregnancy up to 9 weeks into it (Planned Parenthood, 2011). Many people feel differently about the different types of abortion and there are laws regarding how far into pregnancy an abortion can be performed. The news and media cover the abortion debates frequently and often help to stir up some of the controversy. It was found by David Shaw, a write for the LA Times-Washington Post Service, that the media often favors pro-choice advocates over pro-life and â€Å"Columns of commentary favoring abortion rights outnumber those opposing abortion by a argin of 2 to 1 on the opinion/editorial pages of most of the nation’s major daily newspapers† (as cited in Wade, 1990). On Yahoo Answers, â€Å"Does the media influence teenagers to get pregnant and to have abortions? † was asked and one of the responders, Ashley, replied that â€Å"†¦it does encourage them to be sexy- which then leads to sex and pregnancy, and sometimes abortions. But the media is only partly to blame; the main problem is the attitude of today’s s ociety (2009)†. It is easy to research and find distasteful images and photographs from pro-life sites. The ultimate goal is generally to convince a woman out of an abortion or to make people feel that abortion is murder. On the Maine Vitae site, mainerighttolife. com, there is a link to â€Å"Issues†. If you then click on a sub link called â€Å"The Ugly Reality†, there are 9 pictures of aborted fetuses from 8 weeks to 24 weeks gestational age (2010). It is relatively easy to find pro-choice images online, with a lot of the images including children and woman stating that they are pro-choice. A major issue for most people is the idea of abortion as contraception. The Centers for Disease Control released a statement on November 27, 2009, â€Å"Women should use contraceptives, not abortion, to prevent unwanted pregnancies. A Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) study showed that 19-25% of women who received abortions in 2006 had previously had one or more abortions† (2009). Religions often have an opinion that they provide as public knowledge on the abortion debate. In the bible, the sixth commandment is â€Å"Thou shalt not kill (Exodus 20:13, King James Version)†. The commandment is often used to explain why people believe that abortion is considered murder. Traditional Buddhism teaches that life begins at conception and the fetus is â€Å"as entitled to the same moral respect as an adult human being (Keown, 2004). In our research we also found medical doctors, citizens and psychologists that are against abortion. Henry Sigerist gave his interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath’s opinion on abortion; â€Å"The original text of the Hippocratic Oath, the oath that doctors traditionally take when swearing to practice medicine ethically, forbids abortions. One section of the oath reads: â€Å"I will not give a woman a pessary to cause an abortion. † The modern version of the Hippocratic Oath written in 1964 by Louis Lasagna also forbids abortion in its line, â€Å"Above all, I must not play at God† (1996). With his interpretation of the Hippocratic Oath, Henry Sigerist, shows that people can form different interpretations from the same information. David C. Reardon, PhD, et al. also found that women who aborted were 154% more likely to commit suicide than women who carried to term (2002).

Business Research Method – Banking Questionaire

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE AN ANALYSIS OF HOW BUSINESS CAN USE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (IT) TO GAIN COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE: THE CASE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS IN ZIMBABWE. SECTION A: RESPONDENT AND BANK PROFILES a) Respondent’s Profile Position in the organisation Please tick where applicable |Clerical | | |Supervisory | | |Managerial | | |Executive | | Length of Service with the Institution Please tick where applicable |1 – 5 years | | |6 – 10 years | | |11 – 16 years | | |16 – 20 years | | |More than 20 years | | |Highest Qualification | |Please tick where applicable | |Certificate | | |Diploma | | Degree | | |Postgraduate | | |PhD | | How long have you been exposed to use of computers? Please tick where applicable |1 – 5 Years | | |6 – 10 Years | | |11 – 15 Years | | |16 – 20 Years | | |More than 20 Years | | ) Bank Profile Bank Name________________________________________ Number of Branches_____________________________________ |Number of Employees | | |Please tick where applicable | | |1 – 100 | | |101 – 200 | | |201 – 300 | | |301 – 400 | | |More than 400 | | Clientele Base (i) Corporate Clients Please tick where applicable |1 – 500 | | |501 – 1 000 | | |1 001 – 1 500 | | |1 501 – 2 000 | | |More than 2 000 | | (ii)Individual Clients Please tick where applicable 1 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 20 000 | | |20 001 – 30 000 | | |30 001 – 40 000 | | |More than 40 000 | | SECTION B: LEVEL OF AUTOMATION IN THE BANK (a)IT Systems i) Core Banking System |Type of Core Banking System | |Please tick where applicable | | |Globus | | |Equation | | |Bank Master | | |Equinox | | |Flexicube | | |Other (Specify) | | |__________________________________________ | | Year Core Banking System was Introduced †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (ii) Enterprise Resource Planning System Please tick modules used | | |Finance | | |Human resources | | |Inventory management | | |Customer relationship management | | |Business intelligence | | |Other (specify) | | |______________________________________ ____ | | (b)Delivery Channels i) Teller Transactions |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 50 000 | | |50 001 – 100 000 | | |100 001 – 150 000 | | |150 001 – 200 000 | | |More than 200 000 | | ii) Electronic Transactions a) Use of Credit or Debit Cards |YES |NO | |ATMs (Please tick where applicable) | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 5 000 | | |5 001 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 15 000 | | |15 001 – 20 000 | | |More than 20 000 | | |YES |NO | |Internet banking (Please tick where applicable) | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 5 000 | | |5 001 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 15 000 | | |15 001 – 20 000 | | |More than 20 000 | | |YES |NO | |Point of Sale (Please tick where applicable) | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 5 000 | | |5 001 – 10 000 | | |10 001 à ¢â‚¬â€œ 15 000 | | |15 001 – 20 000 | | |More than 20 000 | | b) Electronic Funds Transfer |YES |NO | |Internal Transfers | | | |Please tick where applicable | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 20 000 | | |20 001 – 30 000 | | |30 001 – 40 000 | | |More than 40 000 | | |YES |NO | |Real Time Gross Settlement System (RTGS) (Please tick| | | |where applicable) | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 5 000 | | |5 001 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 15 000 | | |15 001 – 20 000 | | |More than 20 000 | | |YES |NO | |Society for Worldwide Interbank | | | |Funds Transfer (SWIFT) | | | |(Please tick where applicable) | | | |Transactions per month | | |Please tick where applicable | | |0 – 5 000 | | |5 001 – 10 000 | | |10 001 – 15 000 | | |15 001 – 20 000 | | |More than 20 000 | | SECTION C : BENEFITS AND CHALLENGES a) BENEFITS Please tick where applicable. | |5 |4 |3 |2 |1 | | | |Strongly Agree |Agree |Indifferent |Disagree |Strongly | | | | | | | |Disagree | |1 |Profitability | | | | | | |2 |Increase in market share | | | | | | |3 |Increase in revenue | | | | | | |4 |Reduction in labour costs | | | | | | |5 |Reduction in transaction costs | | | | | | |6 |Improved risk management | | | | | | |7 |Speed in service delivery | | | | | | |8 | Increase in Customer satisfaction | | | | | | b) CHALLENGES Please tick where applicable. | |5 |4 |3 |2 |1 | | | |Very High |High |Moderate |Low |Very Low | |1 |Operating costs | | | | | | |2 |Transaction turnaround time | | | | | | |3 |Risks | | | | | | SECTION D: COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE BROUGHT ABOUT BY I. T. IN BANKING Please tick where applicable. | |5 |4 |3 |2 |1 | | |IT helps in: |Strongly Agree |Agree |Indifferent |Disagree |Strongly | | | | | | | |Disagree | |1 |Lowering costs | | | | | | |2 |Product differentiation | | | | | | |3 |Innovation | | | | | | | 4 |Promoting growth (e. g. evenue) | | | | | | |5 |Developing business partners | | | | | | |6 |Locking in customers and suppliers | | | | | | |7 |Creating switching costs | | | | | | |8 |Raising barriers to entry | | | | | | 9 |Customer Relationship Management | | | | | | |10 |Re-engineering business processes | | | | | | |11 |Quality control | | | | | | Thank you very much for taking your time to complete this questionnaire. The information you have provided will be treated in strict confidentiality. NB: Company details will not be included in the report. Fictitious names will be used.

Thinking and Decision Making Essay

Thinking and Decision Making Essay Thinking and Decision Making Essay Thinking and Decision Making The basic concept of critical thinking is to simply take charge of your own mind. Many believe that if a person can do just that; take charge of their mind, they can take charge of their lives by making improvements and ultimately placing themselves in the proper or desired direction. To do this requires a great deal of self-discipline and the ability to look at yourself and examine how your mind works; looking to fine-tune or modify certain aspects to change for the better. We would all have to constantly reflect on our minds impulses day in and day out to tackle our ways of thinking. Thoughts are greatly influenced by our gender, race or ethnicity, religion, and economic status, etc. Each person has an accustomed way of thinking that affects how our problems and situations are rationalized and decided upon. The way in which our issues are resolved and chosen, stems from those attributes that were of influence to the lives of us all. The various forms of thinking: Open questionin g, Inductive, Emotional, and Pessimistic will be examined along with its comparisons as well as each thinking style will be related to how they are handled in the workplace or in everyday life. When it comes to thinking and decision making, there are styles that can affect the critical thinking process. Two of the styles that will be compared and contrasted have to deal with open and closed questioning. Using the appropriate question can help uncover information or find answers needed to complete the critical thinking process (Paul & Elder, 2006). With closed questions, the question can be answered with a short phrase or single word. An example of a closed question would be, â€Å"How are you?† Typically closed questions are fairly easy to answer and provide facts. It doesn’t force deep thought or require the individual to reveal too much information about them right away. Some other uses for closed questioning are to test and individuals understanding of a particular topic. Open questions are used when trying to a more detailed response. Open questions require the individuals think and sometimes reflect. These types of questions also tend to bring to the surface opinions and feelings. Many open questions tend to begin with, how, what, and why. An example of an open question would be, â€Å"What would an education do for you?† Comparing open questions to close, you can easily see that they both differ in the responses that received and the purpose which the type of question is used. Questions are used to seek out information and details used to better solve a piece in the critical thinking process. Using open and closed questions to my career is very important. More often than not open questions are preferred because if you want to better try and understand a potential student, you will want them to talk about their needs and wants. Uncovering these needs and wants sometimes require questions that target true feelings and motivation (Changing Minds, 2010). These open ended question focus on depth and getting to the core. Knowing what, or how a particular situation could affect and individuals outcome is important. When I think about all the areas that decisions can be made by thinking, it is easy to spend all our time just thinking. In my business as clergy have come upon many ways of the thinking process and can see how they have been used in ministry. Some of the styles that have been used are emotional, logical, inductive, and deductive. Everything accomplished in ministry relies on critical thinking and how it can inter-proceed, with the others as the subject of being discussed to come to an understanding. First the use of critical thinking comes into play when talking and listening. Listening is the first of the styles that comes out. By trying to help the person whom I am working with the first part of the conversation is emotional. When, by thinking about the situation the part of the emotional needs is to move on

Medieval Christmas Traditions

Medieval Christmas Traditions Among the Pagan traditions that have become part of Christmas is burning the yule log. This custom springs from many different cultures, but in all of them, its significance seems to lie in the iul or wheel of the year. The Druids would bless a log and keep it burning for 12 days during the winter solstice; part of the log was kept for the following year when it would be used to light the new yule log. For the Vikings, the yule log was an integral part of their celebration of the solstice, the julfest; on the log, they would carve runes representing unwanted traits (such as ill fortune or poor honor) that they wanted the gods to take from them. Wassail comes from the Old English words waes hael, which means be well, be hale, or good health. A strong, hot drink (usually a mixture of ale, honey, and spices) would be put in a large bowl, and the host would lift it and greet his companions with waes hael, to which they would reply drinc hael, which meant drink and be well. Over the centuries some non-alcoholic versions of wassail evolved. Other customs developed as part of Christian belief. For example, Mince Pies (so called because they contained shredded or minced meat) were baked in oblong casings to represent Jesus crib, and it was important to add three spices (cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg) for the three gifts given to the Christ child by the Magi. The pies were not very large, and it was thought lucky to eat one mince pie on each of the twelve days of Christmas (ending with Epiphany, the 6th of January). Food Traditions The ever-present threat of hunger was triumphantly overcome with a feast, and in addition to the significant fare mentioned above, all manner of food would be served at Christmas. The most popular main course was goose, but many other meats were also served. Turkey was first brought to Europe from the Americas around 1520 (its earliest known consumption in England is 1541), and because it was inexpensive and quick to fatten, it rose in popularity as a Christmas feast food. Humble (or umble) pie was made from the humbles of a deer the heart, liver, brains and so forth. While the lords and ladies ate the choice cuts, the servants baked the humbles into a pie (which of course made them go further as a source of food). This appears to be the origin of the phrase, to eat humble pie. By the seventeenth century, Humble Pie had become a trademark Christmas food, as evidenced when it was outlawed along with other Christmas traditions by Oliver Cromwell and the Puritan government. The Christmas pudding of Victorian and modern times evolved from the medieval dish of frumenty a spicy, wheat-based dessert. Many other desserts were made as welcome treats for children and adults alike. Christmas Trees and Plants The tree was an important symbol to every Pagan culture. The oak, in particular, was venerated by the Druids. Evergreens, which in ancient Rome were thought to have special powers and were used for decoration, symbolized the promised return of life in the spring and came to symbolize eternal life for Christians. The Vikings hung fir and ash trees with war trophies for good luck. In the middle ages, the Church would decorate trees with apples on Christmas Eve, which they called Adam and Eve Day. However, the trees remained outdoors. In sixteenth-century Germany, it was the custom for a fir tree decorated with paper flowers to be carried through the streets on Christmas Eve to the town square, where, after a great feast and celebration that included dancing around the tree, it would be ceremonially burned. Holly, ivy, and mistletoe were all important plants to the Druids. It was believed that good spirits lived in the branches of holly. Christians believed that the berries had been white before they were turned red by Christs blood when he was made to wear the crown of thorns. Ivy was associated with the Roman god Bacchus and was not allowed by the Church as decoration until later in the middle ages when a superstition that it could help recognize witches and protect against plague arose. Entertainment Traditions Christmas may owe its popularity in medieval times to liturgical dramas and mysteries presented in the church. The most popular subject for such dramas and tropes was the Holy Family, particularly the Nativity. As interest in the Nativity grew, so did Christmas as a holiday. Carols, though very popular in the later middle ages, were at first frowned on by the Church. But, as with most popular entertainment, they eventually evolved to a suitable format, and the Church relented. The Twelve Days of Christmas may have been a game set to music. One person would sing a stanza, and another would add his own lines to the song, repeating the first persons verse. Another version states it was a Catholic catechism memory song that helped oppressed Catholics in England during the Reformation remember facts about God and Jesus at a time when practicing their faith could get them killed. (If you would like to read more about this theory, please be warned that it contains graphic descriptions of the violent nature in which Catholics were executed by the Protestant government and has been refuted as an Urban Legend.) Pantomimes and mumming were another form of popular Christmas entertainment, particularly in England. These casual plays without words usually involved dressing up as a member of the opposite gender and acting out comic stories. Note:Â  This feature originally appeared in December 1997, and was updated in December 2007 and again in December 2015.

Surrealism in Art and Society Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

Surrealism in Art and Society - Research Paper Example The paper "Surrealism in Art and Society" states the art society and the surrealism movement. It also includes art that pictured images of paradox and dream devised to change human perception of the world and the world, moreover, the goals of surrealism include revision of the human definition of reality by allowing the free flow of thought with the violation of literal convention in art. Surrealism has its roots from the movement founded by Andre Breton as an artistic and literal movement. However, it borrows plenty of its beliefs and practices from other fields that are not directly related t art. These include politics and psychological fields of society. Politically, surrealism professes communist beliefs following the First World War, its causes and its effects. On the other hand, practices and ideologies are borrowed from the works of Freud due to his assertions on the crucial role of sexuality in human issues. In the case of Freudian influence on surrealism, sexuality is embed ded in the subconscious, which surrealists attempt to utilize to create their works of art; moreover, surrealism is defined as a form of automatism through which it intends to express verbally, in writing and by any other means. As a result, the use of the subconscious in artistic expression must not be limited by sociological and psychological reality, which allows surrealism to violate most conventions. Andre Breton is considered the father of surrealism in the entire world following is experimentation in the artistic field.