Busy Week Ahead

Alexis B. and Isabelle J. managed our recent class "Relay for Life" fund raiser. How many links did we create?


Tuesday we have the Math Unit 9 assessment. Students have already prepared a study guide.
Friday is the History of US test on chapters 32 to 41. I will give out a list of key concepts for studying.

Also on Tuesday and continued on Wednesday is the creative writing assessment known as WRAP. This is not graded, but sent away for evaluation. It's two one hour sessions in which a complete story beginning, middle and end must be composed from a story prompt.

Special events this week include: Field Day at 10AM Tuesday and our tour of the Ringling Museum in Sarasota. That's an all day event.

Science: Land & Water Projects continue

Students continue to investigate what water does to the land. Here they analyze the how rocks change the stream beds. We built dams this past week and saved "houses" from flooding. We've planted grass and mustard seeds. Once grown we'll explore how useful their roots are in limiting erosion.

Feeling Appreciated

Here's the assortment of goodies and greetings I was showered with this morning. Exotic fruit basket, antique (Shorecrest colors) backgammon set for my collection and handmade testimonials from each student. Plus the door and window decorations on the theme of Farmer Hughes and his bumper crop (of students.) Thanks to all. I do feel appreciated.

Click on each picture to enlarge several times.





Oh and did I mention the luncheon with a Parisian theme thrown for us all? I wished I'd taken my camera. The committee out did themselves this year.

Your Participation Requested....Not Required

Among the most recent graded papers in the packet I'm sending home tomorrow, you will find a couple of additional items. Two souvenirs from Sophie's Belgian trip and information about a survey conducted by a USF grad student that we agreed to distribute. It's in two parts. There's a consent form to fill in if you decide to participate and have the time. The second part is a survey for you to answer. Both the consent and surveys are returned to me. If you participate, there's a brief survey for your child to complete in class on the same theme. You are under no obligation to get this done. But many of us remember this kind of thing from our own grad school days. We sure appreciated the help and time people gave us then.

This week

Wednesday is the track meet. Students wear PE clothes to school. We sent a letter out about it. We can wear purple tops this week too. This is leading up to "Relay for Life" Friday.

We have a math box quiz Friday. We pick up on our history text this week again.

Carlos won the Spring Backgammon Tournament. Taylor was second. Thomas third and Delaney was fourth.

We will be writing a literary essay about the Phantom Tollbooth and continuing to write our sequels to the same novel.

Susan B. Anthony

Sara A. and Trevor B. presented this morning tribute written by my wife to this tireless worker for women's rights. Here's the script:

Susan B Anthony was born in 1820, in Massachusetts. She was bright, inspiring,

and powerful. When she saw people being treated unfairly, or being bullied, she

spoke up. She was a teacher who thought boys and girls both should be educated

in schools together. She thought slavery was wrong and worked to abolish it. She

spoke up. She thought woman should have control over their property, and their

children, in case of divorce.

But above all, she thought American women, not just men, should have the right

to vote. She was in favor of suffrage. Not suffering! Suffrage is a funny word

that means two slightly different things---the right to be able to vote, and the

act of voting itself.

Can you imagine if your Mom or your grandmother was told, sorry, no voting for

you. Why? Because you’re a woman! Doesn’t that seem ridiculous? Susan B Anthony

and others who followed her, both women and men, spoke up! They organized, they

marched, and they picketed. Sometimes they were tossed in jail. It's hard to

persuade people to change their minds, isn't it?

Your great grandmothers could not vote until 1920, one hundred years after Susan

B Anthony was born. The 19th amendment to the Constitution assured that women

could vote.

Smart, strong, tireless women and men worked together to end the injustice.

Birds, Acting & Bulldozers: Our Day

Audubon Society talked to us about our nesting eagles.



Upper Division students led an acting workshop for us.



We checked on the work to level our indoor playing fields.