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 Dear Parents,We are now in the second quarter of the school year. The class is working together well. If you have concerns about your student, please feel welcome to contact me. I appreciate the kindness and patience of parents and students as I coped with the illness and death of my sister. I'm feeling much better now. Teacher Holiday Gifts Please don't! I have everything I need, except possibly airline miles. If you have unused miles, and are willing to donate them to me for travel to Africa, please let me know. If you would like to show your appreciation for what your child has learned, please consider making a donation to the Tanzanian Orphans, with a check payable to THE DOROBO FUND FOR TANZANIA. 100% of your tax-deductible donation goes to help the children of Olasiti village. There is no administrative overhead in our all-volunteer organization. For more information, please see www.tanzanianorphans.org. An article by a student from last year can be found at India Currents. Charity Projects Mr. Puhvel's homeroom is collecting food for the Second Harvest Food Bank. Your donations are welcome. Thanks! Ms. Gochnauer and Ms. Kirwan are collecting outerwear for Project Warm Heart. Please check your closet for outgrown items. |
What We Are Studying In literature, we are culminating our study of The Sword in the Stone with group presentations of puppet shows. In history, we have recently started our study of Islam. Read about it here. Is it OK to teach about religion in public school? Seventh grade history curriculum includes information about Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism. Is that appropriate or even legal? The U.S. Supreme Court says yes, if the school promotes study about religion, not the practice of religion. “Teaching about religion is important and necessary if public schools are to provide students with a complete education. Much of history, art, music, literature and contemporary life is unintelligible without an understanding of the major religious ideas and influences that have shaped history and culture throughout the world. ... If we are to live with our differences, we must attempt through education to replace stereotypes and prejudices with understanding and respect.” Source: “A Teacher’s Guide to Religion in the Public Schools”, First Amendment Center Just a Quote You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him. — Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German poet, novelist, playwright (1749-1832) — Albert Pike, Scottish Freemason (1809-1891) |
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