Category: Uncategorized

February 2, 2024

Dear Parents,

We made it through the first semester! Your kids should feel proud of what they have accomplished. As we begin the second semester, the kids and you should notice that I have “taken off the training wheels” and will be giving fewer reminders about missing work. I want the kids to be responsible for checking their grades and keeping up with their work on their own. If their bike crashes and they skin their knees once or twice in the coming semester, this is the safest place it could happen – before they get to high school. I hope you support nurturing responsibility.

With only three days of school this week, and those punctuated with assemblies to celebrate Catholic Schools Week, we got through only a few key lessons. We finished reading Lord of the Flies last week and I introduced our essay topic: Based upon your reading of the novel, do you think the author is implying that humans are basically good or evil? To get our thoughts flowing, we started with a debate in class. The kids chose sides and took notes during the debate so that they might use any good ideas they heard in their essays. I provided a template (outline) so the kids could organize their ideas and be sure they had all the parts of a good essay. They then had four class periods to finish the essay. I will be grading these this weekend. The kids know that they can revise their essay based upon my feedback to improve their writing and grade. The only thing I will not allow them to correct for a better grade is their conventions (spelling, punctuation, capitals, and grammar), since I did the correcting for them.

Today we spent time talking about how to break up a large project like the Legacy Project into manageable sections. We talked about what stages of life/categories people would like to find out about and came up with: Birth, location (describe place, time period), Parents (brief history), siblings, Stories of childhood (What was life like where/when they were growing up?), Education/school life, Historical context during different periods of life, Interests/hobbies, Marriage/children/family life, Career, Extended family, coming to U.S. (how/why did that happen in history?), Your relationship with that person (if any), Celebrations/struggles, Inspirations/Dreams, Family traditions, Faith, Death

I had the kids make a Word document with these categories listed. As they find information about these different categories, they can write notes (bullet points are fine) in the section where they belong. Once they have enough information for a section, they can type it up into a narrative format. Having the categories already listed on the paper reminds them which areas of their relative’s life they still need to research. Of course, they may add categories, if they think of different ones.

I have checked the family trees for the Legacy Project and have noted who the kids are researching. If your child begins researching and then realizes there just isn’t enough information to put together an in-depth biography, please let me know right away so that they have time to change who they research.

The next due date is next Friday, February 9^th, when they will need to turn in the Interview Questions sheet. This sheet asks them to come up with some helpful questions to ask about their relative, so that they can gather as much information as possible about them. Good luck and thank you for guiding your child and keeping him/her on track!

Have a great weekend,

Chris

Dear Parents,

We survived this cold day but continue to pray for those who don’t have shelter, adequate clothing, or food today and through the weekend.

We completed an adjectives and a Latin unit and took tests on both. Please always ask your child to see their completed work on weekends. Another good idea, especially this close to the end of the semester (last day January 26^th), is to sit down with your child and look at FACTS for any low grades or missing work. If it is within the two-week deadline, I always allow kids to re-do or make up missing work.

In literature we continue to read through Lord of the Flies. This is a challenging book and I spend a good amount of time reading aloud in class so that we can discuss what is happening and have a better understanding of literary elements like themes and symbolism. Some kids are still having trouble understanding the book. If this is the case for your child, you might consider doing some reading aloud at home. While this is a higher-level text, it is so rich in topics that tie to other subjects we are studying (abuse of power, bullying, nature of humans, and good versus evil), that I find it worth the challenge. I told the kids (and it was in last week’s parent letter) that they need to have one of their January book reports done by January 24^th so that I can include it in this semester’s grades. The second book report is due on Wednesday, January 31^st. Some kids are still not turning in their reading logs on Mondays. Please remind them of this so that they can get full credit.

We spent some religion time understanding bullying and harassment. We talked a lot about what motivates people to bully others and how important it is to report it. I also emphasized that reporting should never take on the term “snitching”, because it is not meant to get someone into trouble but out of trouble. Reporting helps protect the victim and also gets help for the bully (who is probably suffering in some way him/herself). Remember that we will have our Friday Mass next week at 10:30 rather than 8:20 so that we can honor our former principal, Bill Attebury. This will be his funeral Mass.  

You should have seen and returned the permission slip for your child to view “Hamilton”. I am still missing about half the class, so please be sure and return it next week. We have reached the ratification of the U.S. Constitution and are learning about the Bill of Rights (first ten) and other amendments to the Constitution. We talked a lot about citizens’ rights and responsibilities, and we all agree that if we have rights, we need to be responsible. The more we study the way our government was put together by our Founding Fathers, the more we realize how smart they were and how logical the system is.

We started working on our Legacy Projects in class this week by discussing what a legacy is and why it’s important. The kids used the notes they took from that conversation and wrote what will become the introduction to their ten-page biography about a relative. I will look at these paragraphs over the weekend and return them on Wednesday (don’t forget that we have both Monday and Tuesday with no school). They should be working on creating a family tree, finding or designing a family crest, and choosing a relative (grandparent, granduncle/aunt/cousin, or older). If they have decided on a relative, they should start finding as much as they can about that person in whatever ways possible. I had the kids create a Legacy Project folder on their desktops so that they have all the information, writing, links to resources, etc. gathered in one place.

Other News:

8^th

Una nota de Señora Anna- This week in Spanish, we practiced using family words in context and learned adjectives to describe our family members. We practiced the vocabulary with a game of adivina quién (Guess Who)! There will be a family and adjective quiz next Friday.

Advanced Orchestra: This week in orchestra we are…

• Reviewing music we have learned so far this year
• Beginning the learning of new music: Impulse and Appalachian Hymn
• Focusing on bowing technique 

“Students in the ACS Band reviewed “Ode to Joy” in their “Measures of Success” Book, and discussed the ways in which band instruments, and the way they are played, emulate the human voice. We also reviewed music theory concepts in preparation for our end-of-semester music theory test.”

Have a warm weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

The kids transitioned back to school well after the long break. They were calm and ready to learn. They’ve really come together as a class and are genuinely happy to be with one another. That is so fun to see!

During our language arts time this week I reminded the kids of the optional submission to the Catholic Daughters of the Americas contest. The theme this year is “God’s light will shine upon us like the sun that rises in the sky.” Their submissions could be art, photography, poetry, music/song, or essay format. The deadline for submission is January 30^th, and the kids can bring their submissions directly to the office with the entry form attached. We also began another Latin unit during language arts and will take our test next Friday. We continue to work through our modifiers unit, focusing on adjectives. We learned how to use adjectives to combine sentences, to elaborate, and to compare. We also learned that definite and indefinite articles (the, a, etc.) are a type of modifier. We will test the kids’ knowledge of adjectives next week.

During literature, we began reading William Golding’s “Lord of the Flies”.  We will relate this novel to our study of U.S. history by talking about how societies are formed and why it is so important to avoid the abuse of power. Fr. Moore learned that we were reading this novel and will be tying it to his lessons on morality, asking the fundamental question: Is man basically good or evil? I can’t wait for the conversations that will come from reading this novel! Please remind your child to turn in a reading log on Monday morning. These do count toward their literature grade (100 pts. each week). The kids know that what they read during class time in all subjects can be counted toward the 250-page weekly requirement. I will ask the kids to turn in one of their two monthly book reports by January 24^th so that I have time to grade them and include them in this semester’s grades. The second book report will be due, as usual, on the last school day of the month and will count toward the second semester’s grades. The semester ends on January 26^th, but all assignments must be submitted by the 25^th. This would be a good time to check FACTS with your child to be sure all assignments are in. I will be adhering to the two-week deadline for corrections and submission of late work, so please do not ask about missing assignments that go further back than that. The kids understand this guideline and most work hard to stay on top of things.

We began studying for the ACRE test (coming up in the last half of April) by beginning each religion lesson with a 10-minute review of vocabulary using Quizlet. This will help students with the first part of the ACRE test – knowledge of the faith. The second part of the ACRE test tests their attitudes toward their faith. It asks questions about their faith/parish community, their school community, and their practice of faith within their families. The remainder of our religion lessons each day continue to focus on the history of our faith. Currently, we are learning about how our Church is catholic (one of the four marks of the Church) and how this means universal (for everyone). I reminded the kids that their service hours form is due on January 25^th. They have already completed 9 hours for their work at WeGrow Garden. They must have 18 hours total per semester, so please help them find opportunities to serve if they are short. The form can be found on the “Resources” tab of the eighth-grade page. Remember that they may not receive any type of monetary compensation for their service, so their Washington, D.C. fundraisers do not count toward service hours.

In social studies, we began the week reviewing some of the early concepts of American government. We learned about the different ideologies of the Federalists and Antifederalists.  We grow closer to having the background knowledge to watch the musical “Hamilton”. I will send a permission slip home when we know the date, since it is rated PG 13.

I mentioned before break that we will be launching the Legacy Project when we return from break. I hope your child had some time to decide upon a relative and to do some preliminary research while at family gatherings over the holidays. Your child’s homework is to show you the packet for the Legacy Project this weekend. This is a major research project and the culminating long-term project for the kids’ time here at Assumption Catholic School. This packet can also be found on the 8^th grade web page under the “Resources” tab, in case you lose yours. We looked up what legacy means in preparation for the first step of this project. We talked about how legacy is something you receive, but it is also something you give. The kids will be focusing on both aspects of legacy throughout the project. For the first part of the project, the kids need to start creating a family tree as far back as possible. They should gather information from family members but can also use the Internet. Their final family tree can be displayed in whatever format they wish. Last year, we had kids with huge, artistic posters, but we also had family trees printed out on pages that could easily fit in their final binders/scrap books. The kids will need to choose a relative (grandparent or older) to focus their research on from that tree. Most of the elements of the Legacy Project will be introduced in class and the kids will have some class time to begin each new element. However, there will also need to be a lot of research and fact/document gathering done outside of school time, and this is where your child may need some prompting and support from you. Please do read the packet, as it explains the ways in which you can support your child.

Winter Ride begins this Tuesday. Please be sure that you re-read the instructions for this event in order to be fully prepared. Any questions you have should be directed to Kristi Eager, the PE teacher.

Enjoy your weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

I hope you were all proud of the wonderful job your kids did putting on the Nativity play this year. They knew their parts and practically ran the whole show themselves. Our student teacher, Mr. Merrifield, was a big help this year and kept us all organized and on track. I especially loved his “prompt posters” to let the kids know which scenes were coming and who was in them. I had so many positive comments from people today saying that it was an amazing show and that the eighth graders did a fabulous job.

I have the Legacy Project packets ready to go with this year’s dates on them, but I decided to wait until the new year to hand them out to the kids. I do want you to be able to preview what is in involved with the Legacy Project, since it is a long-term research project about a relative and many of you will be visiting relatives over the holidays. Your child may wish to do some interviewing and gathering of facts and artifacts. For this reason, I have uploaded this year’s Legacy Project packet onto the 8^th grade page under “Resources”. Please look at this, as it has some great ideas for interview questions your child might want to use with relatives to gather information. Remember that your child must choose at least a grandparent or older to research (great uncle/aunt/cousin also okay). 

Thank you for the many gifts that came in today. I feel appreciated! Have a wonderful holiday!

Chris

Dear Parents,  

The Nativity play script has been researched and written, a storyboard was made to keep us organized, roles have been cast, and props made. We will now focus on blocking and acting out this special play, which will be presented this Thursday, December 14^th at 7PM. Please have your child at school no later than 6:30 so that we can change into costumes, pray together, and head to the church by 6:45.  

We had to be creative to be able to include all nineteen kids in the play in some way, so we have many scenes where kids are “acting” (holding) as trees, animals, stars, etc. So that they blend in with the background and allow the props to stand out, the kids should dress in dark pants (black or blue) and a black or blue long-sleeved shirt. Shirts with logos work, but the shirt will need to be turned inside out and the tag cut off. We don’t want anyone burdened with buying clothing, so please borrow what you need. 

In literature class we read a short story by Truman Capote called “A Christmas Memory”. We studied Capote’s style of writing which evokes imagery by using sensory details. We talked about how he “shows” a story rather than tells it. Truman Capote does a very good job of drawing out emotions from the reader. Using Capote’s style of writing, the kids had to write a personal narrative about a Christmas memory of their own. They spent the majority of their language arts time this week working on these and I am grading them this weekend. The kids will have a chance to rewrite them this week. 
 

I told the kids that they will have only one book report due in December, but it must be turned in by December 14th (the last school day of the month). Please remind them about this and also about the reading log due on Monday. 

In US history class we continue to study the formation of our government by the Founding Fathers, including the Articles of Confederation, the US Constitution, and the importance of finding ways to avoid the abuse of power.  

I will be sending an overview of the “Legacy Project” next week. This is a long-range project in which the students study an ancestor and write a narrative biography about the person, then create a 50-page album about them. Although we won’t really launch the project until January, I am sending the overview before Christmas so that those who will be seeing relatives during the break can start gathering information, family stories, photos, etc. about the person they choose. The person must be a grandparent or (preferably) older relative/ancestor. No repeat ancestors are allowed by siblings.  

Enjoy the rest of your weekend,  

Chris  

Dear Parents,

We had a great week back from Thanksgiving break! The students are right back to working hard to finish the year strong!

As we move towards the new year, we continue to work on our Nativity play in our religion class. The students have been making some fantastic props that I’m excited for you all to see. The chance for them to let their creativity flow in the classroom has been fun for everyone. Additionally, everyone has volunteered for their roles in the play, so some of you may notice your children coming home with their costumes. Please wash and iron these and send them in next week so that they are ready for the play. We’re going to be working on rehearsals and script reading to ensure we put on the best play ever!

Fr. Moore held a lesson on morality this week and also explained the paper he assigned before break so that there would be no confusion. Your child is welcome to reach out to Fr. Moore if more clarification is needed. Next week, we will be having a Circle of Grace lesson and Reconciliation. I mentioned that we would be having a Circle of Grace lesson two weeks ago in my newsletter and have attached the official letter to parents.

During our literature class we focused our attention on learning about the significance of secondary characters influencing a story’s protagonist. We learned that an antagonist works against the protagonist and how that conflict is the driving force for most novels. We continue to incorporate the use of citing the text and using quotations in our activities to help the kids have stronger evidence to back up their claims.

In US history class we learned more about how our governmental system was chosen by the Founding Fathers. We discussed the strengths and weaknesses of a republican government, identified what a constitutional government is, and talked a lot about what it means to be a citizen. We ended the week by having students read the story of Antigone by Sophocles, a cautionary tale against abuse of power, and even held a mock trial with students representing characters in the story!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Chris  

Dear Parents,

We celebrated a wonderful Grandparents Day today with a packed house! It was nice to meet so many grandparents and to honor the role they play in your childrens’ formation.

One thing mentioned during Grandparents Day was the fact that we want to graduate students who are global citizens. We worked toward that end this week as we started our focus on civics in social studies class. We learned about John Locke’s theory of natural rights (the right to life, liberty, and property) and discussed what it might be like to live in a state of nature (without laws or government). The kids quickly reasoned that while that might be fun at first, it would quickly lead to chaos and destruction. We learned that we need social contracts – agreements humans make to live under a government and to give that government the power to make laws – so that we can protect our natural rights. The kids are enjoying this unit so far.

Speaking of global citizenship, we will have our Human Food Chain the Monday we return from Thanksgiving break. We have not received many food items, so please consider this over break and send in what you can. As the weather turns cold, the lines for Hope House’s food pantry are growing longer.

In literature we continued learning about characters and how they change during a novel. We completed some activities that asked us to talk about the changes in dynamic characters and to prove our answers by citing evidence from the text. Most kids are growing stronger at citing text evidence, and this makes their written and verbal responses more robust.

We spent most of our time in religion class working on writing the script to the Nativity play. We divided it into eight different scenes, then had groups write the details for the individual scenes. When we return from break, we will read through the play to be sure there is continuity. We will also start making our props. I haven’t received any large appliance boxes for the props, so if Santa is particularly good to you and comes with an early appliance, please send the box our way!

Fr. Moore continued his lessons on morality this week. He will be moving into some topics that involve human sexuality and has provided a letter to explain what this unit will entail. Please find the letter attached to this email.

I am also attaching two consent letters from Seattle Pacific University explaining about Christopher Merrifield’s video observations. He will be completing his first lesson video the week we return from break. As is stated in the letters, this video is viewed only by his supervisor and is not posted online. More complete details are provided in the letters attached.

I will see you at conferences on Monday and Tuesday. Please be sure to bring your child, as he/she will be leading the conference.

Have a great Thanksgiving break!

Chris  

Dear Parents,  

We had a wonderful prayer service on Thursday to honor veterans in our community. It was a very special event and brought me to tears. My father was a WWII vet, wounded in the Battle of the Bulge, so I am especially grateful for those who put their lives on the line for our nation’s safety.  

We have been working hard to finish up a few things to share with you at conferences November 20-21. The kids will be doing some self-reflection next week about each of their subject areas and will be leading their conference. They will have some work samples to share with you and will set some goals for themselves based upon what we discuss. If you have not yet signed up for a conference slot, please do so soon. I will attach a Parent Conference Planning Sheet to this email, in case your child did not give you a hard copy on Thursday. Please take a moment to fill it out and email it back to me (or send a hard copy with your child) before Friday so that I can prepare for our time together. 

We continue to read our Salem witch trial novels. Since this is a short month, I told the kids that they may complete just one book report based upon their outside reading. The other book report can be about their Salem witch trial novel. These will be due the last school day of the month, although I recommend that they complete one before Thanksgiving break to relieve some of the end-of-month pressure. I ask the students for substantive work (as described on the “Outside Reading Requirements” sheet found on the 8^th grade page under Resources) so they should not be surprised if they receive only half credit and are asked to re-do for more points. Please remind them that a reading log is due on Monday as well.  

In religion next week we will begin planning the Nativity play which will be the evening of December 14^th this year. All students are required to participate in this very special performance. We will be in need of three to four appliance-sized boxes to make our props for the play. If you have any of these, or other sheets of large cardboard, please send them in Monday or Tuesday. Thanks!  

Service hours are part of your child’s religion grade. As a reminder, 18 service hours are due each semester. Your child has already earned 10 hours as part of their WeGrow Garden work. Students can earn service hours on Friday, November 17^th by helping with PTC’s Movie Night. Students are needed at 6:30 (immediately following the girls’ basketball game) to begin setting up for Movie Night, which will begin at 7:00 PM. They can stay to help until 8:45PM.  

In social studies, we took our topic (chapter) test about the Revolutionary War. I will allow the kids to make corrections to this test this coming week. Our next focus is on the U.S. Constitution. This will be our entry point into a unit about civics. Our student teacher, Mr. Merrifield, has a degree in history, so it will be great for him to add his perspective to this unit.  

I hope you saw Steph Wolf’s email summarizing our D.C. fundraising opportunities. This is an amazing trip, and I know that we can all work together to make it affordable for all. Please be sure to sign up for areas to help.  

Una nota de Señora Anna- This week in Spanish, we had a quiz to demonstrate our knowledge of food vocabulary. We also learned about a food project we will be starting next week. 

And finally, please see this information below: 

Human Food Chain is Monday, November 27^th  

Each year, we do a food drive for the Hope House to help stock their shelves before winter. This has always been a great tradition at Assumption. Starting this week and through November 21st, please bring non-perishable food items to the front entrance where there will be tubs to place the food. Please do not bring glass containers or beans (they have enough of these). Hope House has asked specifically for the following “open and eat” items to support a greater need in the homeless population:  

1. tuna kits  

2. beans and franks  

3. fruit cups  

4. granola bars  

5. peanut butter crackers  

6. individual bags of chips/cookies  

7. fruit rolls  

8. bottles of water  

9. individually wrapped cookies  

10. individual packages of beef jerky 

Have a great weekend! 

Chris  

Dear Parents,

Next week we will be welcoming a student teacher to our classroom. Christopher Merrifield will be joining us for the remainder of the year. He will initially observe how I teach, then progress to teaching alongside me, and finally lead the teaching (in the spring). I will be with him the entire time and will still be your child’s teacher, but it will be a great opportunity to mentor someone who is taking up this calling. Please read the following introduction from Mr. Merrifield:

Dear Parents,

I’m thrilled to introduce myself as your child’s upcoming student teacher! My name is Christopher Merrifield, and I’m originally from Chico, California. I hold a bachelor’s degree in US History and a minor in Military Science which I obtained from UC Davis. I moved to Bellingham over 5 years ago after discovering, and subsequently falling in love with, the beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and specifically this wonderful town of ours! I am now in the process of pursuing my teaching certification at Seattle Pacific University.

In addition to my studies, I currently serve as an intelligence officer within the Army National Guard in an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, which has been an incredible source of inspiration for my teaching philosophy. It has instilled in me the values of teamwork, adaptability, and resilience, qualities that I am eager to pass on to the young minds I’ll have the privilege to work with.

Beyond education and my military service, I have a passion for painting miniatures, hiking, and learning more about history! I’m excited to bring my enthusiasm, creativity, and dedication to the classroom and to work alongside your child to help foster their growth and development. I’m looking forward to a rewarding partnership with you and your family during my student teaching experience at Assumption Catholic School!

Very Respectfully,
Christopher Merrifield

This week in language arts class we continued learning new vocabulary using our Latin roots. We also continued our verbs unit learning about the progressive tenses, irregular verbs, using consistent tenses, and subject/verb agreement (especially with compound nouns). We will finish this unit on Monday, then assess our learning.

The kids made headway in their Salem witch trial books and completed a variety of literature tasks associated with these books. After their first week and a half of reading in book groups, I gave them a self-evaluation sheet so that they could give me an honest assessment of how much energy and attention they think they are putting into their time together. We will look at these and other reading skills during conferences. Please remind them that a reading log is due on Monday.

We had a great All Saints Day liturgyWednesday. Your kids did a great job leading their Kindergarten buddies in this celebration. They processed in with their Kinder buddies dressed as saints and carried portraits of saints with the Mass, the saint’s name, feast day, symbol, and patronage. Fr. Moore spoke about how Jesus is the cornerstone on which we build our faith. I was excited, as this is the exact topic of one of our religion lessons this past week. I had just taught the song “Cornerstone” by Leon Patillo. I got a few glances from the kids as Father started talking about Jesus as the cornerstone, so I know they took the lesson to heart.

I will be teaching a Circle of Grace lesson this month. This lesson will replace the Virtus lesson about safety that used to be taught twice per year. I will send you a link so that you can check out the program. As always, if you do not wish for your child to receive the lesson, please let me know.

In social studies we finished learning about the Revolutionary War. We completed a timeline of the significant events during this time period. We also had many discussions that connect this chapter’s essential question “When is war justified?” to both the Revolutionary War and current conflicts. To prepare for our viewing of the musical “Hamilton” (permission slip to come – we are still a couple weeks out), we learned about the historical context of certain key songs. Kids shared their research about these contexts and we listened to these songs. It will be fun to view the whole musical with lots of background knowledge to get the full impact of its historical importance.

I hope you all received your “Take and Bake” order forms. Our D.C. fundraising volunteers are working tirelessly to provide ways for us to reduce the cost of our trip to Washington, DC. Thank you!

Have a great weekend!

Chris

Dear Parents,

Welcome snow in the mountains! We have the best room in the school with its beautiful view of Mt. Baker and the Twin Sisters.  

In language arts this week we went over the two essays the kids had finished. I explained the grading rubric and had them revise their writing based on the notes I wrote both on the rubric and on the essays themselves. I hope you saw the message I sent yesterday about how to submit the Veterans of Foreign Wars essay. I learned today that a representative of the local VFW has offered to come to our school on Tuesday to pick up any entries. If you wish to use this option, please be sure to fill out the entry form and attach it to a printed copy of the essay, then have your child give it to me Tuesday morning.

We also spent time this week working through Latin roots (we tested today) and verb tenses. We have covered the basic tenses (past, present and future) and the perfect tenses (past perfect – I had bought it; present perfect – I have bought it; and future perfect – I will have bought it). Next week we learn the progressive tenses! I told the kids that learning how our own language works will make it a whole lot easier to learn a foreign one.

We started a short unit in literature about the Salem Witch Trials. This period of history is a bit earlier than where we are in our history lessons, but with Halloween coming I couldn’t resist. Most books are historical fiction, but one group is reading a non-fiction book. We should finish these by the beginning of December. While reading these books, the kids are in small groups and are working through a number of literature tasks. The purpose of the tasks is to get the kids talking about their novels together. This is the first step in independent group literary discussions and should be valuable in setting up some discussion habits.

We didn’t have any lessons on Church history this week but focused on getting ready for the All Saints Day Mass. We are putting this Mass on with our Kindergarten buddies. If you would like to attend, it is an all-parish Mass on Wednesday at 12:30. Your kids will be leading and will be processing in carrying their saint posters and with their Kinder buddies dressed as saints. All are welcome!

In history class we finished learning what life was like in colonial times. We learned about the Great Awakening and its effects on religious tolerance. We also learned about the different social classes, about politics and government, and about how important literature, art, and music were. We learned about the French Indian War, and the taxes the British imposed to help pay for the war. We learned about the deep anger and frustration by the Patriots and that the “shot heard around the world” was the beginning of the Revolutionary War. Today we reviewed Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” pamphlet which stated that it was just plain common sense that we should be free and independent from Great Britain. We ended by declaring our independence.  

We had our final fall gardening time at the WeGrow Garden on Monday. We planted cover crops and more garlic, tidied the beds, attended to the compost bins, and disposed of unwanted plants (mostly sunflowers). Thanks to the parents who made this happen by coming along with us each week. We will resume our visits when the garden “wakes up” again in the spring.

Please check grades this weekend with your child. The sports season is upon us and kids cannot participate if their grades are low. Have your child fill out and turn in a reading log on Monday. And if there is any extra time this weekend, please encourage your child to complete the two book reports that are due on the last school day of the month – Halloween! By the way, the kids have planned their own Halloween party and have decided to watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. This movie is rated PG, so it should be fine for the kids. Please let me know if you don’t want your child to watch it and I will find an alternate location for him/her.

Have a great weekend,

Chris