Another MLK Jr. day is around the corner - and since we finished To Kill a Mockingbird before break, watched a bit of Eyes on the Prize with the sub and are currently drafting personal essays modeled after the NPR This I Believe series - I think students are well prepared to take part in the assembly and make an effort to embrace the call for A Day On (on Monday). Today we listened to essays read by Jackie Robinson and Harry Truman that were recorded in the 1950s and also heard a modern essay written by a Nobel Peace Prize winner on ordinary people doing extraordinary things. The students have been more than receptive and my hope is that they ponder why they believe what they believe --- this is fantastic preparation for the start of our Night of the Notables project. Students will soon begin the process of selecting a person to research and impersonate - someone who is notable for their strength of character, amazing talents, work efforts, personal sacrifices etc.... As always, I am looking forward to the amazing job the students always do with this thought provoking project.

Other points of interest:
1. By now I'm sure you heard I was absent following break - not perfect, but Jim Johnson held down my fort and we were in close communication throughout the week

2. Grades should be updated by next Tues. (I apologize for the delay in the update - but I did not anticipate being gone for so long)

3. They took a quiz (actually 2) on Tues. - they were given the chance to take 2 quizzes in 2 different formats and select the score they were most pleased with.

4. Ch. 8 WSH Graphic Organizer is due on Tues. after the long weekend for blocks 1 and 3

5. This I Believe essays are due on Wed. 1/18 (can't wait to hear them!)

6. Please remember that while the Skyward shows WSH as the 1st sem. class and Civics as the 2nd sem. class - there is overlap since we have covered pertinent Civics items throughout 1st semester --- your student will know by the end of 3rd q. if they have passed WSH (probably sooner)