Another Sunny Delight

This week we've been focused mainly on ISTEP, but we've also had our share of Social Studies and Math. In Social Studies, we're learning about the baby United States, and the skirmishes that occurred between the founding fathers. My favorite duo back in that day was John Adams and Thomas Jefferson. These are two really fascinating guys (not to mention Adams' spirited wife) who we'll continue to explore next week. 

Did everyone make it out to Cool River Pizza last night for the school fundraiser? I didn't get out there in time for their closing because of karate. If you didn't, maybe you could go to the First Annual Woodbrook Elementary Auction next Friday, March 13. It's at St. Elizabeth Seton from 6:30-9:30. 

With ISTEP out of the way, next week we'll be able to do quite a bit more with the research paper. We went to the library yesterday to get some research materials, but please don't do any work for this over the weekend. I've told the kids again and again that I do not want them stressing over this at home--yet. The time will come, trust me, but I'd like for that time to be concentrated over about a week (and actually just a few days with options of which days to choose--I know we all have very complicated schedules) rather than an entire month or more. There will be short assignments in the inbetween time, but that's called "chunking" so that the kiddos don't get overwhelmed. 

Also, the National Competition for the Rube Goldberg contest will be on Saturday, March 28, at Purdue University (aka: God's country). If you think your child would like to go, maybe we could set up a carpool or something like that if we get enough people. It should be fun for everyone to see the cool things that the college crowd puts together now that they've tried it on their own. One thing you'd need to understand is that this would not be a school-mandated or a school-related field trip by any means. This would just be a bunch of people who happen to be going to Purdue at the same time on the same day. There is no admission fee. 

D'oh! And I just learned from the kids during our ISTEP break that that is the day of the carnival. Great. Why can't they spread out the goodness?

“Appreciation can make a day, even change a life. Your willingness to put it into words is all that is necessary.”

—Margaret Cousins