Today's Monarch

Ok, so I’m proud. Meet a future reader!

In Mr. Heneghan’s class...

1. We have been reading about gender stereotypes and gender roles, and ultimately Hillary Rodham Clinton’s role as possibly the first strong female candidate for president for a major party. We have used a couple articles from the New York Times to explore this subject.
2. We sent home a scholarship opportunity for 8th graders called the Sr. Fracesca scholarship, offered by the Sisters of St. Francis in Oldenburg. This is a scholarship for black students planning on attending a Catholic high school. So far, I have received zero applications. I have a few extras if needed. Deadline is April 15.

In Mr. Carlstedt’s class...

1. Mr. Carlstedt will have extra credit available on his eClassroom over Spring Break.

2. He will be “going live” on his site this Sunday, not Saturday.

3. 6th and 8th grade have a test tomorrow.

4. 7th grade will wrap up Ch. 18 when they get back from break.

7 Habits For Highly Effective People

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

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Time: 1:00 pm ET/12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT/10:00 am PT

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Meet Mary Margaret Heneghan

Mama Corrie and baby Mary are doing great at home. Thank you for all of your prayers and hard work in my absence.

God bless you,

Mr. Heneghan

P.S. Here's a good shot of a future reader and great writer...and me.



MORE PICTURES OF BEAUTIFUL MARY.



Mary chills after a hard day of napping.

Girls Will Be Girls?

We will discuss more on this next week, but for now, read this article from the New York Times.

What are gender roles? Should boys do boy things and girls do girl things?

What do YOU think?

Homework Questions for Monday and Tuesday night:

a. What does the author, Peggy Orenstein, mean when she says that many women are "struggling to find an ideal mix of feminism and femininity"? Do you agree? Why or why not?
b. Why did some people get upset about the implicit "Girls Keep Out" sign on the cover of the "Dangerous Book for Boys"? Does this bother you? Why or why not?
c. Who does Orenstein believe the "Dangerous Book for Boys" was marketed to? How was it marketed to this group?
d. How do the new girls' books push for girls to "have it both ways"? What does this mean? Do you think this is a good goal for today's young girls? Why or why not?
e. Orenstein believes that the book "How to Be the Best at Everything" subscribes to "the 'I am woman, see me shop' strain of feminism." What does this mean? Do you think that this ideology is a positive or negative one for a new generation of women?
f. What is "relational" feminism? Do you subscribe to this type of feminism? Why or why not?
g. Does anything about Isabelle Cherney and Kamala London's study surprise you?
h. What does Orenstein mean when she says that girls are "allowed more latitude in their identities" than boys? Do you agree? Why or why not?
i. What conclusions do you come to after learning that boys are just as likely to play with "feminine" toys as "masculine" toys when they think that no one will find out?
j. What does Orenstein mean when she says that "learning to 'create an amazing dance routine' ... is still far more Dangerous for boys than … learning to juggle"? Do you agree?
k. If you were to one day become a parent, what would you want your child to learn about gender roles?

PART II (For Wednesday and Thursday)

"When Women Rule" article.


HOMEWORK Statements to respond to:

1. -"Hillary Clinton isn't the only woman struggling to find an ideal mix of feminism and femininity, one that allows a woman to behave both like and unlike a man without being penalized either way."
2. -"In democracies in the television age, female leaders also have to navigate public prejudices -- and these make democratic politics far more challenging for a woman than for a man."
3. -"The broader conundrum is that for women, but not for men, there is a tradeoff in qualities associated with top leadership. A woman can be perceived as competent or as likable, but not both."
4.-"It's an uphill struggle, to be judged both a good woman and a good leader."
5. -"Exposure reduces prejudice.":

Want to Know More About Some Cool Books?

Courtesy of "All Things Excellent" guru Sarah Batt: Click on a book title to learn more about that book, read reviews from other readers, and even check out some OTHER books readers of that book like. For example, if you loved "Gregor the Overlander", click on that title and see what other books people have read who also loved "Gregor", like "Charlie Bone", "The Ravenmaster's Secret", "The Prophet of Yonwood", or "Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh".

There are even discussions amongst other avid readers about "Flowers for Algernon" (or any other book you could think of) that you can read. If you thought "Into Thin Air was a great non-fiction read about mountaineering, see what other non-fiction reads are out there that are along the same lines, in this case, "The Climb", "Left for Dead: My Journey Home From Everest", or "Ghosts of Everest".

If you've read, for example, "A Northern Light", click on the author's name and see what else Jennifer Donnelly has written, like "The Tea Rose", or "Humble Pie".

There is much more to see and learn. Hopefully that whets your appetite.

This is all on a pretty sweet site, www.librarything.com. EXPLORE!

Today's Monarch

A painting from African-American artist William H. Johnson called "Off to War".
From Mr. Heneghan’s class...
• My wife is going to have a baby in the next day or so, therefore, I am taking a paternity leave for the next two weeks. Brandi Mickens, who works with NYO, will be my able replacement. I will be checking back in with school periodically to see how everyone is progressing.
• 6th and 7th graders have been studying artists from the Harlem Renaissance, including Zora Neale Hurston (writer), Bessie Smith (Blues singer), William Henry Johnson (painter), and Langston Hughes (writer). By Friday, they will have created a PowerPoint slideshow including all they’ve learned about their chosen artist.
• 8th graders will complete a Black History Month mural on Friday. In groups, they were assigned certain themes, including politics, religion, sports, food, civil rights, music, etc. They will convey these themes using a variety of different mediums, including watercolor, photographs, magazines, the web, and their own writing.

From Mrs. Hasbrook’s class...
• The 6th and 7th graders are well into the next chapter which focuses on school supplies, clothing and the conjugation of AR verbs. They also just received return pen pal letters from the students in Honduras! We are in the process of reading and translating these letters.
• The 8th graders are going to test over the chapter on Tuesday the 11th. After completing this chapter's test, all students will begin to compose and later perform a dialogue in front of the class that will take place in a clothing store or a bookstore. One student will be the salesclerk, the other the customer.
• Overall, students are doing a great job. They need to remember to bring their copy of the prayer, their notebooks, and all completed homework to class!

From Mrs. Bryant’s class...
• Sixth grade students learned how to calculate speed by measuring distance and time of Hot Wheels race cars on Monday. Students will next explore plant and animal cells.
• Seventh grade students are doing a fine job with probability as they estimate the likelihood of a desired outcome in comparison to all the possible outcomes. Stars and galaxies have been our major focus this week. Ask your son or daughter the following questions: What color is a star? What does the color of a star tell us about a star? What is parallax? --- Ask them to demonstrate. What is the closest star to earth?
• Eighth grade students were tested on Newton’s Laws of Motion this week as they were asked to calculate speed, acceleration, and force. Overall, test results were very disappointing, and I believe this to be chiefly a preparation issue. Often questions missed were taken directly from the notes students took in class. Only 25% of the class indicated that they had even read a portion of the textbook. The grasping of new science terms, formulas, and concepts can usually be greatly increased if a student completes the daily assignments as well as being on task in class.
• Congratulations to Phillip Bates, Payge Fowlkes, and Christian Williams, who did an excellent job representing St. Joan of Arc at the CYO Science Fair on Saturday. I received many positive comments from the judges.

From Mr. Carlstedt’s class...
• Check out Mr. Carlstedt’s RADIO SHOW this Saturday at 1pm. You can get to this radio show via a link from his Social Studies eClassroom (blog).

From Mrs. Groves’s class...
• Back from Honduras!
Mrs. Groves returned from her field assignment in Honduras bringing letters from our partner school Escuela de Carlos Roberto Reina. The 5th through 8th grade students were thrilled to receive them. She hand delivered them because mail is practically non- existent in the remote mountain area in which the school is located. The school is a small two-room building for 70+ students. It has no electricity or water. The only restroom is an outhouse in the back. The students walk hours to get to school each day, so the day is quite a bit shorter than ours. Consequently, they work very hard while they are there.
Although the team from HETO (Hearts in Education Teacher Outreach) delivered 3000 pounds of supplies for the fourteen schools they visited, Escuela de Carlos R. Reina School is sill in need of many things. Tania, the teacher there, gave Mrs. Groves a list of needed materials. Our students would like to do a fundraiser so that we can send the money to a HETO representative there, to purchase the necessary materials. We will pursue that in the near future.
Meanwhile, the students are learning to translate their letters from Spanish and will write back. They will be hand-delivered by our HETO representative.
• Sports Connections
Monday the students will play 3 on 3 basketball to give them some practice in keeping statistics. On Tuesday, the middle school students will go to the Pacer game at Conseco Fieldhouse. There they will follow a player, tracking his personal stats. Upon return to school they will figure out shooting percentages, and compare their performance to their overall season statistics.
• Drivers Needed For The Pacer Game on Tuesday, March 11th
We are in need of a few more drivers. We will leave the playground at 6:00 PM and return at 10:00 PM. If you are available to go with us to the game, please call the school office (283- 1518) and let us know how many students you can take in seat belts. You will need to provide a valid driver’s license and proof of insurance. These can be brought to the office anytime to be copied. We have great tickets thanks to Mr. Morris!