Your kids did a FABULOUS job leading an all school assembly about the life and times of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, jr. A dear friend of mine, Paij Wadley-Bailey came in and shared her story, of living for a year in the segregated South at the age of 12. She has a powerful story to tell. During her 6^th grade year, Paij’s teacher’s house was bombed by the Klan and both her teacher and her teacher’s husband, died in the explosion. This case was only recently solved (2001) and Paij has, since that fateful day, dedicated her energies to seeking peace and tolerance for all people.

In addition to our work with the civil rights movement, we are also wrapping up our Vitamin C testing lab in Chemistry. This lab focused on having the students use titration as a method to figure out the relative strengths of Vitamin C in each beverage and then to draw conclusions, based on those results. Next week, we will be looking more closely at the states of matter and atoms, molecules, mixtures and compounds, as well as the periodic table. The kids are really enjoying this Science unit – what’s not to love? Color changes, bubbling liquids, droppers, goggles – and one very smelly classroom (imagine having cabbage juice in open cups for over a week!)

In a couple of weeks, we will begin our study of Ancient China. I am renting a kit from the Fleming Museum so that the children will be able to handle actual artifacts from this amazing country. If you have resources/ideas to share, please let me know.

That’s it for now. I will be at a Science Committee meeting on Friday (tomorrow) so the kids will not bring home their Weekly reports until Tuesday.

Peace,

Sara

January 21^st: No school due to Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

January 25^th: PTN Popcorn sale at snack time

January 31^st: Winter Concert with Mr. Close at 6:30.