Week 20 Honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

It's cold outside! And so, with much deliberation, GES will be closed tomorrow Monday, January 21. The MLK  celebration will take place, so please bring your family and join with our Lewisburg community in honoring this great man. Three of our students will be reading their essays, and I'm sure they'll appreciate the support of their friends. The march begins at 11:00 am at the courthouse with lunch ($5) at 11:30 followed by the program at 12:30. This all takes place at Lewisburg United Methodist Church in downtown Lewisburg. I hope to see many of you there.


The Galaxy students certainly rose to the occasion and composed well written, thoughtful essays for the MLK essay contest which was open to Greenbrier and Monroe county students. They responded to this quote from Letter from Birmingham Jail: "Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly". I also assigned an article that was posted in the New York Times at the time of Dr. King's death. The students were to read it, choose an appropriate theme, find words, phrases, and quotes that exemplified their theme, find a symbol, and put all of this together in a visible display. I'm sharing these symbols with a part of each student's essay. I've included them at the end of this post. Take your time to enjoy them and realize that we are raising up a generation of responsible and caring citizens.


Mr. Graves has been busy planning our end of the year trip. He is putting together the itinerary which I will share as soon as it is finalized.  The trip dates are Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19. We will visit Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Busch Gardens. Chaperones are Birch, Keri, Tanya, and me. If anyone else would like to join us, please let me know asap. Any additional chaperones must pay in full for their trip. The projected expenses are as follows:

$60 for Busch Gardens ticket 

(needs to be paid to GES by Friday, Feb 2)

The remaining expenses for the trip will be paid for by the existing fundraising, plus an additional $600 to be raised before trip.

Expect an estimated $75-90 for meals on the trip to be paid by each individual. Adding in the $60 Busch Gardens ticket, this puts the expense for this trip at about $150/person, not including spending money.

This week the Galaxy will continue working on research papers, play with more Punnett squares, and take a citizenship test. Please have your child show you his google calendar so that you know what's going on and what's coming up. I hope to take the class to the public library Friday morning. The students like working there. It's a nice, quiet time.

MLK Essays 2019

A Lasting Effect

My belief of this phrase is that if you do or say something to someone it could have a good or bad long lasting effect on the person and the people around... People who practiced slavery directly affected the people who were enslaved. They made them feel like they were lesser people... In the end I feel that people who practiced slavery made themselves the lesser people.

Mason Jones 6th Grade, 3rd place










Cause and Effect

Just be nice to people because it makes no sense when we all hurt each other. We could have a much better world if people got along and believed others. The world would have peace and there would be no hungry people if we helped each other out. What is a vacation home worth if ten thousand people die? Our world isn't amazing, but we can make it that way.

Julia Troyer 6th Grade, 2nd place











King of Hope

The hope he provided made a huge influence on everyone who has heard him. He believed that if you don't stand up for other people's rights, then maybe no one will stand up for yours. It's hard work that gets us the freedom that we have now, though even in present day not everyone sees through people's skin color. And so, these are the reasons why Martin Luther King Jr. is both my hero and my inspiration. He is truly a fire that still flickers today. a King of Hope.

Casey Bair 6th Grade, 1st place






Actions Speak Louder Than Words

He desired that people would not be judged, mistreated, or segregated. Because Martin Luther King Jr. thought all people were connected, he believed if one thing happened across the world it would alter the other side. Take the Titanic for example. When it hit the iceberg on one side, it didn't just make that side go down, the whole ship went down. If the people on the side that didn't get hit didn't worry that they would go down, they were wrong. In the end the whole ship did go down, not the one side, but the whole ship.

Mary Johnson 7th Grade, 1st place











Contagion of Ideas

Contagion is spreading from person to person at close interaction. Just like viruses ideas can spread the same. This is just what Martin Luther King Jr. wrote in "Letter from a Birmingham Jail". MLK, Ruby Bridges, and Rosa Parks. These are people who used contagion for their ideas. By standing out one puts himself on the spot, and people on the spot have followers, and followers are inspired by them, and that's when ideas spread.

Ian Lowthorp 7th Grade, 2nd place

"Whatever Affects One Directly Affects All Indirectly"

This statement "Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly" inadvertently mean that we're all connected in one way or another. We all play a part in the big picture. For example, when I help my mom with bee keeping, I may only be participating in a small process but once the honey is all collected and put together, we take it to the Farmer's Market and share it with the community. The small steps used to produce the finished product add up to one big outcome which always allows the community to reap the benefits of our work.

Cody Wood 7th Grade, 3rd place



"Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly"

I agree with MLK that everyone should be treated fairly no matter what religion, race, or gender. Sadly, not everyone is treated equally. Many people treat others like they are lesser than them to make them feel inferior just for their own self gain. How is that fair!? A large amount of people are bullied every day... No kid deserves to be bullied or to be treated like they are lesser than anyone else. We are all equal one way or another. Doctor King was someone who saw that and fought for that equality.

Victoria Arce 8th Grade, 2nd place

You Are One of Many

Millions of people live by this philosophy; the idea of connection that runs through all people despite race, religion, or ideals is priceless. Sadly, that has not been realized. Millions more don't think about the civil or human rights of others. We live in a world of technology and discovery, yet we don't realize the impact of this on the minority. Where most thrive, others face the reality of hunger, poverty, and trafficking. Even Mother Nature suffers from our actions. While the reality of equity and equality is enchanting and well desired, at the state the world is facing, it is virtually impossible.

Maxine Casto 8th Grade




Aware

Some people ask: What do you want to be when you grow up? My response: Someone who changes the world. My inspirations are people like Martin Luther King Jr., Malala Yousafzai, Michelle Obama, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and Ghandi. If we could all change the world for good, just a little bit each, imagine what a kind world it would be. Where do I imagine the world in ten years? I imagine it changed for the better, overflowing with respect, equality, kindness and-most importantly-love. If Martin Luther King Jr. can change the world, so can we. All we have to do is be aware, aware of our duty to humanity. So try it, try being aware. If you start now, imagine the ripple we can make.

Indigo Graves 8th Grade

M.L.K.

The Montgomery Bus Boycott started with only one person but many would become involved because of one singular person. It is absolutely amazing how one person's choice can change everything. Rosa Parks' decision would trigger the minds of others on how it was such a major issue that this was at the current time. Even through our modern society this issue is still occurring today. Racism is becoming less of an issue because people have given their respect to all ethnicities of people (and still are continuing up to this day).

Jada Church 8th Grade

A Man Who Changed the World

"Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly." Martin Luther King Jr. was the most important voice of the American Civil rights Movement which worked for equal rights for all. He was famous for using nonviolent resistance to overcome injustice, and he never got tired of trying to end segregation laws, laws that prevented African Americans from entering certain places such as restaurants, hotels, and public schools.

Jordan Wood 8th Grade

What Affects Some Affects All

I like to think that the human race is a pond. When a disturbance happens it sends ripples that hit everywhere in the pond. The outermost sides of the pond are almost unaffected while the place where the ripple started is drastically thrown about. Martin Luther King was a brave man and took the first non-violent, and most effective, step to changing all of us. We are all facing problems in the world. What will you do to make it a more peaceful place?

Ian Burford 8th Grade






I'm honored to be a part of our future leaders' lives.

Mrs. J

Week 19 Focus on the Civil Rights Movement

I hope you're enjoying a cosy, snowy Sunday. I sure am! I think we need a little more snow to have a snow day tomorrow, but we'll see and let you know. If we aren't in school tomorrow, the students have an assignment to work on. They are to write an ending to the short story "The Lady and the Tiger" by Frank Stockton. The details are on google classroom in the ELA thread. I also will post the ongoing geography assignment on the Geography thread. In addition, if we are home tomorrow, I'll post an assignment that the students should get started on. It is a rather long reading of an obituary of MLK. This will be posted in the ELA thread. It will help if they get a head start on it before we talk about it in class.

We will be participating in the Martin Luther King celebration next Monday, January 21 at the Lewisburg United Methodist Church. The agenda is -

• Leave GES at 9:30 for downtown Lewisburg. Drivers are needed.
• 10:00 - March from the courthouse to LUMC.
• Eat lunch at the church. The lunch is usually soup and a wrap and the cost is $5. Your child may bring a lunch from home.
• Participate in the program. I anticipate some essay winners.
• @2:00 - Return to school.

I'm inviting all parents and friends to join us. This day is important and the program is always very moving. Your students were to read and watch some videos about the Civil Rights Movement this weekend. I hope you watched with them. I learned so much. Unbelievable! We must educate America's youth about the concepts of freedom, acceptance, and unconditional love.

As usual, contact me with any questions or concerns. I'm enjoying learning right along with your children.

Mrs. J

We had a little drone play last Friday.

Week 18 Time for Research

This month, we will be concentrating on research. In preparation for the Social Studies Fair, the Galaxy students will choose a topic of interest to research and compose a research paper. I'm planning to walk through this process with them over the next four weeks. By spending time on this initial research, the whole project should seamlessly come together. I'm referring to Core Knowledge guidelines in preparing to teach this unit. The standards for writing a research paper in grades 6-8 are very similar.

Write research essays, with attention to

• asking open-ended questions
• gathering relevant data through library and field research
• summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting accurately when taking notes
• defining a thesis (that is, a central proposition, a main idea)
• organizing with an outline
• integrating quotations from sources
• acknowledging sources and avoiding plagiarism
• preparing a bibliography

The students will be finishing their MLK essays this week. I feel very strongly that parents are children's best teachers. Please make time to read your child's essay and help with editing. The thoughts need to be the student's but most of the students need some help with the mechanics. Parent involvement and student academic success are directly related.

This week we have Hill and Holler pizza on Wednesday and hot lunch on Friday. Kids Club meets Friday morning and then the Galaxy will head to the Greenbrier County Library to research. I need some drivers and some helpers while we're there. Please contact me if you're available.

Please take a look at the research paper schedule. You can find it at the top of the blog when viewing on a computer and under "home" on your phone. Swipe to see the whole schedule. I will be emailing Science Fair information later this week.

Mrs. J

We had a little fun with following instructions, paper folding, and balance.

Week 17 Off to a New Year!

Happy New Year! I hope your holiday season left you happy, healthy, and ready for the adventures of another year. I'm looking forward to seeing all the students again and catching up with their holiday happenings.

Two items that will be in the forefront this week are the student's book trailers and the Martin Luther King essay. The book trailers are due on Wednesday and we'll spend some time sharing all of them. The MLK essay was a surprise to me but please don't fret. I plan to give the students time to work on this in class. I do ask that you read through the assignment posted on Google classroom with your child, brainstorm some writing ideas, and help begin a rough draft.

The Social Studies fair is on the horizon and it will be required this year. We will be working on this during class time and using it as a vehicle to practice research skills and write a research paper. Start talking about this with your child and help find an interesting and intriguing topic to explore.


Here's a peek at some of the academic topics coming up in class this month:

• cell meiosis, genetics, adaptations, theory of evolution
• citizenship, government, beginnings of our nation
• persuasive writing 
• independent and dependent clauses, action - linking - helping verbs
• author's purpose, genre

One last thing... Mr. Graves is actively planning our end of the year field trip to Williamsburg. The tentative dates are Friday, May 17 - Sunday, May 19. I will keep you informed.

Enjoy these last few days of vacation and best wishes to each of you for a satisfying year ahead.

Mrs. J

Week 16 Holiday Time

Only four more school days until Christmas break. The kids have worked hard these past few months and definitely deserve a little time off. This week we have a few things going on.

• Our class party will happen on Wednesday. Please send a healthy snack for your student that day. We will have pizza for lunch and then PARTY! I'll provide the party food. If your child has a favorite board game, send it on Wednesday. And don't forget the Secret Santa gift. Parents are welcome to come and share in the fun.
• Thursday (December 20) is our last day and one of school wide celebration. Chapel and our Christmas play will start off the morning, followed by Holiday Happenings from 10:30 to 12:00. We can still use some craft centers. If you want to come and help out, just let me know. In the afternoon we'll wind down with a movie and then clean up, pack up, and get out! 

The students have been practicing the mechanics of paragraph writing. By responded to a visual prompt, they practiced writing hooks, topic sentences, details related to the topic sentence,  transition words, descriptive words, and concluding sentences reflecting back to the topic sentence. We took a little time to learn about Norman Rockwell, his art, and his contributions to our country. The students chose one of his Christmas pictures to write about. Enjoy a few of these student samples.

Once there was a man who made Christmas stuff like toys, Christmas lights, and ornaments. When he was a kid, he was a big fan of Christmas. His favorite holiday was Christmas and he wanted to make Christmas things. When he went to school, he always talked about Christmas to his friends. One day three kids bullied him...  Aiden

And it goes on from there with Santa coming out ahead and the bullies getting their dues. It's always interesting to get inside of the minds of the kids.

A Christmas tree is a fun thing. It is fun to decorate it with family. The tree is tall, thin, and rugged. The ornaments are old, rusty, and also breakable and at last the star which is shiny, bold, and big...

So the tree is a very important part in the holidays. Cody

His concluding sentence refers back to his topic sentence and he took the time to add adjectives.

Whoosh - a big, fat guy flew through the sky being pulled by a group of not so excited reindeer. It had been a long night and the man had been drinking a little too many spiked eggnogs... Ian B.

This is certainly an attention getting hook!

...My mom was untangling lights, my dad was hanging decorations on the walls, and my brother just got back from the store with a present for my mom... Jada

This topic sentence spells out what her paragraph should be about.

...The snow was sparkling on the ground, but the kids had their eyes fixed on the skies. They were looking for any signs of reindeer. And then a flash in the sky, like the shimmer of a sleigh... Julia

She used descriptive words and even threw in a simile.

Grandma, who is very kind, is the best grandma there ever was. We pack, drive in the car, and arrive there to see our aunts and uncles... When we get there, we bring in the gifts, help decorate the huge tree, and spend time with grandma. We decorate her tree with all of her ornaments... Mary

She wrote a topic sentence telling what she is writing about and then added details for each idea.     

...They snuggled in bed and as soon as they were absolutely sure their parents were asleep, they crept down the stairs on silent toes. The squishy armchair that sat by the fire bent under the weight of the two children that had just flounced onto it. They stared intensely at the hollow fireplace that was black with soot and coal. However, when Bonnie looked over, Ben was fast asleep, sandy blonde hair spilling over the arm of the chair where his head rested... Maxine

Her word choice is excellent and she even used personification.

The scent of pine trees filled the air. The train screeched to a stop in the place I call home. It was Christmas Eve when I hopped off the train watching families embrace with tearful hellos. I looked at the clock - eight o'clock on the dot. With a long held sigh, I slung my sack over my back, and I waited and waited for the ones I hold dear to show up and be near... Victoria

Yes, I want to read more!

Happy Holidays. Enjoy!

Mrs. J

Week 15 SNOW!

Happy snow day to you. I'll just take a few minutes of your time on this gorgeous Sunday to update you on the Galaxy's latest adventure.

Our mock trial was a success. All the students learned about a "wild" and pivotal event that occurred as our nation struggled toward freedom. They also were introduced to our legal system by role playing as lawyers and witnesses. The lawyers each wrote their own opening and closing statements. These statements were organized, well written with excellent word choices, compelling, and persuasive. John Wooton was an essential part of this event. He graciously shared his legal and historical expertise. Thank you so much, Judge Wooton.

I'm planning to give an occasional snow day assignment; the first one is assigned for tomorrow. Please make sure your student checks Google Classroom. I've posted The Gift of the Magi in the English Language Arts classroom. The assignment is to read it, answer the questions, and become familiar with the vocabulary.

Tuesday, or whenever we get back to school, we will be finishing up the study of cell mitosis. The other two assignments due this week is one for American Studies and holiday writing. Jog your student's memory about these. They are also reading a book of their choice and will produce a book trailer when they are finished.

If you haven't brought in your Christmas 4 a Knight gift yet,  please do so the first day we go back to school. Our class Secret Santa exchange and party will be held on Wednesday, December 19 and our school wide festivities will happen on Thursday, December 20 which is the last day of school for the year. WOW!

Enjoy the snow.
Mrs. J

Week 14 It's December!

I want to invite family and friends to the Galaxy's mock trial of the Boston Massacre. The Honorable Judge John Wooton will be presiding over our court on Friday, December 7 at 10:00 am. The students are working diligently and this is sure to be a fun as well as educational event. Let me know if you will be attending and if you plan to bring others with you.

As we head into December, please make sure to check the school newsletter and all flyers that come home. There are numerous giving opportunities and events lined up. Also, if you haven't given to the annual fund, please do so. Any amount counts towards our participation. We want a pizza and ice cream party!

Progress reports will be coming to you soon. I've attached a fantastic visual of standard based grading. Take a few minutes to read this so that you can fully understand your child's report.

As always, contact me with any questions and/or concerns. I hope to see many of you this Friday at the trial.

Mrs. J