Teacher Margaret's "View From My Window" - March 12th

Getting closer to a winner!

Dear Friends,

This month's focus is on the Testimony on Peace.  Our Eighth-Grade students wrote the following query to help us think about, discuss, and practice this testimony. “To us, peace means nonviolence and being kind to your friends. How can we show concern for each other’s souls? How can we face the world’s events with peace? How can we promote nonviolence in our school community and out in the world?” The Peace Testimony expresses itself in the curriculum we select, the ways we support student development, and the manner in which we respond to students when they break community norms. At its core, the Peace Testimony is about relationships - building them and maintaining them through conflict and agreement.

Building the muscles to sustain peaceful communities is going to be on stage this weekend in our production of Little Mermaid, Jr.  All of the children involved have their own ideas of how Ariel, Sebastian, and Ursula should be portrayed. They have to work together in the small backstage space to meet their cues and care for props. They don’t always agree, and yet they have practiced their emerging skills of listening and advocating and listening again to achieve their agreed-on goal of a great performance. Be sure to come and celebrate with them.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to talk with many of you about any number of topics having to do with your children, our program, hopes for your family, and concerns about the present. Each conversation is a gift of time and love for the children at the centers of our lives.

Holding you in the Light,

Margaret

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Announcements:

• March 13 and 14 - Little Mermaid, Jr on stage at Westfield
• March 16 - State Assemblyman Balvir Singh to visit and talk with students about issues facing the Assembly and how they can advocate for things that matter to them
• March 24th- MS Movie fundraiser
• March 27th - Parent Conferences - No school
• March 16th - WFS March Madness for community favorite book continues we will be down to the last four books this week.
• April 25th - first Friends and Frames Bowling Fundraiser - Bowling, Arcade, Ice Cream, Pizza, Auction - Fun for everyone -- kids and parents, friends and family!