High 5: 28 April 2017 by Mrs Rajah

Story from the old days:

One bright, sunny morning, a large group of young boys gathered by the woodland with their bows and arrows.
On this day Shifu, the master of all teachers, organized a competition to test their concentration. Across a stream, Shifu set up a small wooden bird in a tree. Upon returning to the boys he told them, “Hello children. Today I want to see who among you can strike the eye of that wooden bird across the river.”

The bird appeared tiny from where they were standing, but the boys were confident that they could pass their teacher’s test. Anxiously, each one of the young boys waited for the teacher to call their names.
The oldest among the boys, was called upon first. Taking position by his teacher, he crouched slightly and drew his bowstring taut.

“Can you see the bird properly? Tell me everything you can see,” said Shifu.

Wanting to be thorough, the oldest boy began to list off everything that met his eyes. “I see the wooden bird, the branch, and the tree. I can see the leaves moving and even more birds sitting on the same tree. I can see the stream, the grass, other trees, the sky…” When he finished, he waited for his master’s final command to shoot. Shifu spoke again, “Put down your bow and take a seat, you will not hit the eye of the bird.”

Confused, the oldest silently walked back to his brothers without question. The next boy was called forward and asked the same question by Shifu. He gave a similar answer, naming everything he could see. Once again, the the boy was told to put away his bow. This same pattern continued with every boy that followed, until finally Shifu called out the youngest.

“Tell me what you can see, little one,” repeated Shifu.

“I can see only the eye of the bird,” he replied without breaking eye contact with his target.
“Can you not see the trees and the sky?” his mentor asked.

“No sir, all I can see is the eye and nothing else,” he said, holding his bow steady and maintaining his unwavering gaze.

Shifu was pleased with this response. He cast a glance at the crowd of boys, who were held in silence but slowly began nodding as the lesson began to become clear to them. Shifu gave the order.
“Shoot!”

With a loud twang, the arrow sprang from the bow straight into the bird’s eye. A perfect shot. The bird fell with a small thud as all the boys looked on in amazement at the youngest boy.

After a long pause, Shifu patted the little one and said, “Now you see, young ones, the power of being accurate and precise…”

Striving for accuracy is about desiring exactness and perfection and taking a craftsmanship pride in one’s work.
How do you strive for Accuracy?

As you work:
• nurture a desire for exactness, fidelity & craftsmanship.
• check for errors, at least twice.

People who value accuracy, precision and perfection take time to check their work.They work to attain the highest possible standards and take pride in their accomplishments.

Accuracy is very crucial in many professional arenas. Airline pilots, surgeons, pharmacists and accountants, for instance, must work with great precision. Whether you are a ballerina or a hockey player, take time to make sure that what you are doing is accurate, or precise or flawless is what makes the difference in mastery, excellence and success. Striving for accuracy is of great value not only in the classroom but in the world as well.

Some students may turn in sloppy, incomplete or uncorrected work. They are more anxious to get rid of the assignment then to check it over for accuracy and precision. They are willing to suffice with minimum effort rather than investing their maximum. They may be more interested in expedience rather than excellent.

Students should learn that completing a project quickly is not always the ultimate goal. Spending additional time to check for accuracy and to make improvement will lead to high-quality work. Just as sloppy work is a habit that is developed, striving for accuracy is a habit that can be developed and used in all parts of life.

In your GESS Handbook, please note the following:

Students to ask themselves these questions:
• Do I check through completed work without being asked?
• Do I review the criteria for success and do I understand what success looks like?
• Do I ask questions if I am unsure?
• Do I ask for feedback about ways to improve my work?

3 key messages:

We take pride in our work and value excellence.
We value practice and improvement.
We work towards the highest possible standard.