Middle School Play

I have asked Mr. Bill Connelly to be a "guest blogger" today to talk about the middle school play.

"Middle school students presented the musical “Metaphasia”  on November 18^th , 19^th , & 20^th. The hours spent learning lines, songs, and dance routines paid off as the combined efforts of the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade students involved in the musical turned this contemporary version of the Brothers Grimm tale “Twelve Dancing Princesses” into a hit. The talent displayed by the cast of 22 students was evident as they sang and danced their way into the hearts of everyone in attendance. Congratulations to Mrs. Palmer, the students, the parents, and everyone else involved in the musical. Well done!!!!"

The play was a resounding success thanks to the students and the work of Mrs. Palmer.

Book Recommendation

I try not to make this blog too “personal”.  In other words, I believe that people read this blog to learn more about the school and what is happening with the school district.  However, I am going to make an exception today.  I have been reading The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba.  The story is about how a 14 year old boy living in Malawi made a windmill for his village from spare bicycle parts and old pvc pipes.  The story is much more detailed then just the story of the windmill.  The author describes in detail how his family and village survived a famine in 2001.  Reading the story of how the family and village survived the famine lets the reader be inspired by the power of hope, community, and faith (especially faith).  No matter how bad the situation was (and it was bad for political reasons more than environmental reasons) William’s family and friends never stopped believing in each other.  I was also struck by the importance that the family and community placed on education.  Although the schools are not anything that we would recognize in the United States, the students are expected to perform at high levels and the students recognize that education can improve their lives.  This book is a must read.  It is hard to read at times because of the graphic descriptions of suffering during the famine, but in the end you will walk away with the resiliency of the human spirit.

Alice in Wonderland

Last night and tonight (at 7:00PM) students of F.S.G. performed "Alice in Wonderland".  I attended the performance last night and I was very impressed by the performances of the students.  I am also impressed by the hard work that Mr. Phipps and the parent volunteers put into creating the custumes and the stage.  the highlight was the "black light" that made characters glow in the dark.  These pictures only catch a small portion of the visual effect.  Very well done!